The Denver Broncos quarterback room has dominated offseason headlines, but are Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater really as bad as some think?
The Broncos quarterback situation has dominated the offseason yet again. With Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater in a back and forth quarterback battle, we content creators always have something to write about.
For the sake of the fans’ sanity and the team’s success, I hope that one of these two shuts the door on this competition to become the unquestioned starter.
With that being said, I think the Broncos can potentially benefit more than other teams who have a solidified passer.
Here’s my theory.
In the NFL, the backup QB position is one of the most important and valuable players on the roster. They aren’t just clipboard holders; they’re the glue that holds the team together in a dire situation.
One of the worst things that can happen to an NFL team is them losing their starting QB for whatever reason. We’ve seen many of these situations arise every year, and this year, there will be a scenario where a team will trot out their backup signal-caller to play meaningful football.
On the flip side, there is a quarterback shortage in the NFL, and not every team has a backup that’s very good, even for a backup’s standards.
Some backup quarterbacks, like starting quarterbacks, are simply better than others.
Take last year, for example. Andy Dalton was signed to the Cowboys as Dak Prescott’s backup– and by backup QB standards, Andy Dalton is as good of a backup as they get.
Likewise, a guy like Blake Bortles also falls into this category as being a very good backup, as he’s played some good football in his career.
The point I’m trying to make here is that having a good or very good backup quarterback is an insanely valuable thing. The Cowboys were able to remain steady in their playoff chase last year even when Dak Prescott went down.
A couple of years ago, when Patrick Mahomes hurt his kneecap, the Chiefs held their own for a few games, and that was mostly due to their competent backup.
For the Denver Broncos, they have a similar situation, even with no starter named.
Whether it be COVID, injury, or otherwise, if the team’s starting quarterback has to miss time in 2021, our backup can provide competent play to keep the team relevant.
More from Predominantly Orange
- Denver Broncos need to prioritize having CEO head coach
- Broncos chances of landing Sean Payton dwindling, but not gone
- Denver Broncos dream coaching staff for DeMeco Ryans
- Denver Broncos: “Sleeper” David Shaw checks every box
- The Broncos’ coaching search likely has not gone to plan
Think about it, if Drew Lock wins the starting job, Teddy Bridgewater is the backup. No one should argue with me if I then say that Teddy is one of the ‘best’ backup quarterbacks in the league, right?
If Drew misses a couple of games for whatever reason, the Broncos benefit from having a quarterback like Teddy on the roster, seeing as they have a greater chance to benefit from good enough quarterback play.
On the flip side, if Teddy becomes the starter, Drew is the backup.
As bad as some people think Drew Lock is, our season wouldn’t be lost if Drew had to start a few games, seeing as, in backup quarterback terms, Drew is ‘very good’ in that regard.
I’m not trying to make excuses for the quarterback room, and I’ll be the first to say I’d much rather have Aaron Rodgers as the team’s quarterback with a bag of Skittles as the backup.
The saying goes something like, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have zero.” I get it, the Broncos don’t have a high-end starter like many teams do, but they are still in a position to win double-digit games, even if the starter goes down.