Ranking all of the Denver Broncos starting quarterbacks post-Manning
Ranking the 12 starting quarterbacks since the Peyton Manning retirement
9. Jeff Driskel
Jeff Driskel was a 6th-round pick back in 2016 by the San Francisco 49ers. He signed with the Denver Broncos back in 2020 and appeared in three games for the Broncos, starting one. He threw for three touchdowns and two interceptions during those appearances. Driskel was nothing more than a backup option for the team but did boast some strong athleticism that he got to show in his limited appearances.
8. Brandon Allen
Brandon Allen was in Denver for the 2019 season and went 1-2 in three games started for the team. He had three touchdown passes against two interceptions. He had a very solid start against the Cleveland Browns back in 2019 and actually surprised many, but his next two starts weren't much of anything and he faded into irrelevancy.
7. Joe Flacco
What fun Joe Flacco was. He came to the Broncos for the 2019 season, and the hope there was that Flacco could channel some of his leadership and overall experience to lead the Broncos back to the postseason. Well, that was far from the case. He was 2-6 as a starter and earned a passer rating in the mid-80s.
Drew Lock came in and provided a much-needed spark to the Broncos towards the end of that 2019 campaign, proving to many that Flacco was a huge issue.
6. Case Keenum
"Cardiac Case" as I called him signed with the Denver Broncos before the 2018 season and certainly had his ups and downs in 2018. There were a few late-game heroics from Keenum, which is why I gave him that nickname, including a nice drive against the Chargers that led to a Brandon McManus game-winning field goal.
However, Keenum was never able to channel that 2017 type of play with the Vikings and was dumped after one season in Denver.
5. Drew Lock
The most frustrating but most promising quarterback since Peyton Manning, the 2019 second-round draft pick came in a draft class that also included two encouraging players in Noah Fant and Dalton Risner. Lock's 2019 season, going 4-1 in his five starts, seemed to settle the QB conundrum once and for all.
However, the 2020 season was less than ideal, prompting the Broncos to bring in Teddy Bridgewater in 2021. Lock did get an unfair deal from Vic Fangio in hopes that he could save his job, and we may never truly know what Drew Lock could have been in Denver with coaches that actually wanted to work with him.