When someone takes up the mantle of being the Denver Broncos starting quarterback, fans are going to follow their careers closely, no matter where they end up playing. The Denver Broncos have had a wide variety of players start for them over the last decade, but perhaps none has been more polarizing than Drew Lock.
Okay, Russell Wilson probably takes the cake, but Drew Lock might be a close second. One section of the fan base believed with every fiber of their being that Lock had all of the tools to be a successful quarterback with the Denver Broncos, but he never got the proper backing from head coach Vic Fangio. Another sect of the fan base simply thinks Lock was a trigger-happy, turnover-prone liability at the most important position in the game.
Although Lock was certainly more of the latter in his time with Denver, he provided an interesting enough spark that the Seattle Seahawks wanted him in the infamous Russell Wilson trade back in 2022. And Lock has been a pretty highly regarded backup option in the years following.
After putting some nice stuff on tape late last season for the New York Giants, Lock returned to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 offseason to back up Sam Darnold. Barely two weeks later, the Seahawks already replaced him...
Seahawks replaced former Broncos QB Drew Lock two weeks after signing him
Jalen Milroe at Seahawks’ rookie minicamp: pic.twitter.com/qLZL3X7EAt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 3, 2025
Jalen Milroe was a third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks out of Alabama in this year's draft. There's no doubt that Milroe is one of the most talented incoming rookie quarterbacks and perhaps an ideal developmental quarterback for a team like Seattle.
The Seahawks took a calculated risk on Sam Darnold after his major breakthrough year with the Minnesota Vikings, but they have been hedging their bets at the position ever since. After signing Drew Lock and drafting Milroe, the Seahawks also traded former Commanders draft choice Sam Howell to the Minnesota Vikings.
Lock has to be wondering why he can't catch a break situationally. After signing with the Giants last year, it seemed like New York deliberately kept him on the bench to avoid paying him a performance incentive. Now, Lock gave Seattle a friendly discount at two years, $5 million which looks like is going to turn into him being cut or traded in the near future after the selection of Milroe.
Such is life in the NFL, and for a backup quarterback.