Denver Broncos: What happens with Drew Lock if Bridgewater starts?

Jul 28, 2021; Englewood, CO, United States; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) talks with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) during training camp at UCHealth Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2021; Englewood, CO, United States; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) talks with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) during training camp at UCHealth Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The latest noise from Broncos Country would indicate that Teddy Bridgewater is going to be named the starter of the Denver Broncos.  What would happen with Drew Lock?

We are slowly approaching the decision we’ve all been waiting for–that of the starting quarterback.  Signs are beginning to point to Teddy Bridgewater being named the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos to begin the 2021 season.

If that’s true, then what happens with Drew Lock?

I’ll be the first to say that Drew Lock should be named the starter, considering he and Teddy are virtually even during this battle, and Lock is much younger and has a much higher ceiling.

Also, if Lock ends up imploding, it’d be much easier to turn to Bridgewater in that case rather than start Bridgewater and turn to Lock if Teddy plays poorly.

How would that affect Drew if he’s the backup, but then asked to step in?  He’s clearly put in a lot of work during the offseason, and it’s shown.

The logical decision, in my opinion, is to start Drew.  If he stinks it up, then you can turn to Teddy, who has been put in this situation before.

However, if Teddy Bridgewater is named the starter, what does the team do with Drew?

Starting Teddy would all but guarantee that the team gave up on Drew, so the most likely scenario is a trade, either during the season before the trade deadline or after the 2021 season.

It’d make no sense to start Teddy and keep Drew around to seemingly engage in another quarterback battle.

The Denver Broncos could perhaps fetch a 5th round pick for Drew Lock, and there’s always a need for quarterbacks in the NFL, so there’s a good chance teams would be interested.

The only other scenario that is somewhat possible if the team starts Teddy is the Broncos keeping him on the team for the duration of his rookie contract, eventually letting him hit free agency to find a more desirable situation.

Vic Fangio and the rest of the coaching staff are most likely fighting for their jobs, so they may view Teddy Bridgewater as their best option to keep their jobs.

However, it’s clear that Drew Lock made some leaps during this offseason, as he’s played just a hair better than Bridgewater.

Lock has had the best preseason performance so far when he lit up the Minnesota Vikings.

For the Broncos, the worst-case scenario if they start Teddy Bridgewater is Drew Lock ending up becoming a quality starter with another team–a Ryan Tannehill-esque type situation.

While unlikely, Lock has shown enough to indicate that he can undergo a career revival.

Whatever ultimately happens, I will pull for Drew.  He’s been treated horribly by the Broncos fanbase and deserves to be treated with more respect.  He’s a human, too.

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