Predominantly Orange
FanSided

7 Denver Broncos free agents and others who won’t be back in 2022

By Sayre Bedinger

Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 8
Next
Drew Lock, Denver Broncos
Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos reacts in the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field At Mile High on November 28, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Denver Broncos players who won’t be back in 2022

6. Drew Lock, quarterback

After they drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, I think it’s safe to say the Denver Broncos mishandled Drew Lock.

Joe Flacco was the team’s starter to open the 2019 season, which was already a complete waste of time, but when Flacco got hurt, the team turned to Brandon Allen for a handful of games instead of Lock.

In the 2020 season, they fired the coordinator Lock had in his rookie season to hire Pat Shurmur, forcing Lock to play in an offense that did anything but cater to his strengths.

Lock responded by playing way too aggressively and making enough poor decisions with the ball that the Broncos turned to Teddy Bridgewater in the 2021 season.

Lock was given the 2020 season to prove himself as the team’s potential QB of the future, but that was it, and he has shown signs of major regression in 2021.

Lock needs a change of scenery in the worst way. He’s still very young and could still carve out a career in the NFL. He needs to learn how to be a backup and he probably needs to go to a franchise running an iteration of the Shanahan offense where he can watch and learn from a great veteran QB for a couple of years, rehabbing his value in the process.

Home/Broncos Roster