The NFL pulled all three of the Broncos' active quarterbacks before practice Saturday out of contact tracing concerns and they are not likely to be cleared to be play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, sources tell 9News.
Multiple sources told 9NEWS that starting quarterback Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles didn't practice Saturday and were told to go home because the NFL had concerns with how they interacted Wednesday with another backup quarterback, Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for COVID on Thursday. Sources said one issue was the quarterbacks were not wearing masks at the time of close contact.
The Broncos play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High with their quarterback situation in serious flux. The Broncos and NFL officials have been in communication Saturday and they hope to sort it out by Saturday night. There is a chance all three quarterbacks will be ruled out, sources tell 9News.
Driskel says he has no symptoms and feels completely healthy, but as a precaution the Broncos ran both regular and Rapid Point of Care (POC) tests on Lock, Rypien and Bortles on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
None of the quarterbacks are experiencing symptoms and all have so far tested negative.
However, sources say the league reviewed tape of the interactions between Lock, Rypien and Bortles with Driskel from Wednesday and apparently there were enough concerns to raise a flag. With no quarterbacks available, Broncos offensive quality control coach Rob Calabrese, a former quarterback at Central Floriday, ran the offense continued to run plays against air with coaches taking the snaps, receivers running their routes and running backs taking their handoffs.
There is hope Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be cleared, but it's possible they will not. If the Broncos don't have a quarterback against the Saints -- and would that not be the craziest development in this crazed year of COVID? -- then options include signing Calabrese to a contract much like NFL teams with emergency goalies, to using running backs Royce Freeman, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay in Wildcat formations.
Multiple sources told 9NEWS that starting quarterback Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles didn't practice Saturday and were told to go home because the NFL had concerns with how they interacted Wednesday with another backup quarterback, Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for COVID on Thursday. Sources said one issue was the quarterbacks were not wearing masks at the time of close contact.
The Broncos play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High with their quarterback situation in serious flux. The Broncos and NFL officials have been in communication Saturday and they hope to sort it out by Saturday night. There is a chance all three quarterbacks will be ruled out, sources tell 9News.
Driskel says he has no symptoms and feels completely healthy, but as a precaution the Broncos ran both regular and Rapid Point of Care (POC) tests on Lock, Rypien and Bortles on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
None of the quarterbacks are experiencing symptoms and all have so far tested negative.
However, sources say the league reviewed tape of the interactions between Lock, Rypien and Bortles with Driskel from Wednesday and apparently there were enough concerns to raise a flag. With no quarterbacks available, Broncos offensive quality control coach Rob Calabrese, a former quarterback at Central Floriday, ran the offense continued to run plays against air with coaches taking the snaps, receivers running their routes and running backs taking their handoffs.
There is hope Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be cleared, but it's possible they will not. If the Broncos don't have a quarterback against the Saints -- and would that not be the craziest development in this crazed year of COVID? -- then options include signing Calabrese to a contract much like NFL teams with emergency goalies, to using running backs Royce Freeman, Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay in Wildcat formations.
