Drew Lock is done as a Denver Broncos quarterback

The 2021 season was supposed to be a promising one for Drew Lock. It’s been anything but that.

Before the season started, Lock was listed as the team’s starting quarterback. Though there was talk that floated around for months about adding a veteran quarterback to give him some competition, it looked like Drew Lock’s job to lose.

Rumors of the team trying to pry Aaron Rodgers out of Green Bay dominated the offseason but on the opening night of the NFL draft, the team instead traded for Teddy Bridgewater. Still, it seemed like it was Lock’s job to lose.

During the preseason, both quarterbacks performed well but I wrote on more than one occasion that Lock was winning the competition and should be the starter. The coaching staff disagreed, naming Bridgewater the starter.

Bridgewater has not been magnificent, but he has gotten the job done. Lock, in two relief appearances this season, has not. It’s clear at this point that the coaching staff does not trust him or see him as part of the team’s future.

The final straw for Lock came in Sunday’s 28-13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bridgewater was knocked out of the game during the second quarter with the Broncos leading 7-0. Lock came in and it was obvious that Pat Shurmur was leery of having Lock even attempt a pass, making the offense quite heavy on the run.

Lock nearly turned the ball over on his first offensive snap and later, threw an absolutely terrible interception to Derwin James that threatened to change the game completely. The Chargers capitalized by turning that turnover into points, cutting the Broncos’ lead to 14-7 at the half.

Drew Lock’s fate with the Broncos has been sealed

The Broncos then turned back to Bridgewater, who didn’t appear to be at 100 percent but it was clear that the team felt it could not put any trust in Lock.

Bridgewater was able to lead an 80-yard touchdown drive to put the Broncos up 21-7 to pretty much put the game away. Had Lock stayed in, we might be singing a different tune the day after.

Lock’s chance to come in to relieve a hobbled Bridgewater on Sunday was his latest – and perhaps last – chance to convince the organization that he can be a productive member of the team going forward. As Sayre Bedinger wrote, he should not even be the team’s backup quarterback at this point.

We can argue whether or not Lock ever got a fair shake in Denver, but what seems quite clear at this point is that he’s not for the long-term with the Broncos.