Denver Broncos

Drew Lock reportedly holds a lead over Teddy Bridgewater in the battle to become the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback to open the 2021 season.

"I would say it's fair to put [Lock] in the driver's seat as far as the competition here," Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Saturday. "It's pretty open; things are pretty fair. But I would say he's in the driver's seat. Really has a chance to claim hold of this job with a couple really nice performances [in the preseason]."

Lock will draw the start Saturday when the Broncos kick off the preseason with a road game against the Minnesota Vikings. Bridgewater will take the reins of the first-team offense when they visit the Seattle Seahawks next Saturday.

Denver head coach Vic Fangio described the quarterback competition as "even-steven" on Tuesday.

"I have confidence in both those guys,'' Fangio told reporters. "I really do. ... There is no grading scale. Ultimately we have to go by what we see. We're keeping track of things, statistically—some more detailed stats than what you guys will do. They'll be there for the information."

Neither of the Broncos' options were overly impressive in 2020.

Lock completed 57.3 percent of his throws for 2,933 yards with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions across 13 games for Denver. He ranked 29th in ESPN's Total QBR.

Bridgewater posted a more efficient 69.1 percent completion rate for 3,733 yards but tallied just 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 appearances for the Carolina Panthers. He was 17th in Total QBR.

When you factor in Lock's prior experience in the offense, which Fangio explained is why he's starting the first preseason game, it's easy to see why the competition is a virtual toss-up.

The Broncos feature one of the NFL's deepest pass-catching groups with receivers Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick and tight end Noah Fant, which should benefit whomever wins the starting job.

After the road games against the Vikings and Seahawks, Denver wraps up the preseason Aug. 28 by hosting the Los Angeles Rams and then kicks off the regular season Sept. 12 when it travels east to face the New York Giants.

Heading into his first season with the Denver Broncos, Teddy Bridgewater reflected on the 2016 injury that almost led to him losing his leg. 

Speaking to ESPN's Jeff Legwold, Bridgewater said "I'm a survivor" when discussing his NFL career up to this point and competing to win the starting quarterback job in Denver. 

A first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater showed tremendous promise in his second season. He threw for 3,231 yards with 14 touchdowns and led the team to an NFC North title with an 11-5 record. 

Expectations were high for Bridgewater and the Vikings going into 2016, but he suffered a torn ACL and a dislocated knee in a noncontact drill during training camp. 

Dan Cooper, the surgeon who operated on Bridgewater's knee, told ESPN's Ian O'Connor in 2018 that it was a "horribly grotesque injury.”

“It’s mangled," Cooper added. "You make the skin incision, and there’s nothing there. It’s almost like a war wound. Everything is blown.”

Bridgewater didn't appear in a game again until Week 15 of the 2017 season when he took nine snaps in a 34-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Vikings declined Bridgewater's fifth-year option, making him a free agent after the 2017 season. He signed a one-year contract as a free agent with the New York Jets but was subsequently traded to the New Orleans Saints in Aug. 2018. 

After spending two seasons with the Saints, Bridgewater got the chance to become a full-time starter last year when he signed a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The 28-year-old set career highs in completion percentage (69.1), passing yards (3,733) and passing touchdowns (15) in 15 starts. 

The Panthers traded Bridgewater to the Broncos in April. The Louisville alum is competing with Drew Lock to be Denver's starter in 2021.    

The Denver Broncos' quarterback competition could begin to play itself out early on during the preseason, as Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater will split starts during the team's first two exhibitions.

Head coach Vic Fangio said Lock will get the nod Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings, and Bridgewater will be under center to start against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 21.

NFL Network's James Palmer reported Aug. 4 that neither Lock nor Bridgewater was running away with the starting job and that "how each quarterback performs during the three-game preseason slate—Denver would have preferred the league had stuck with four—will factor greatly into the final decision."

Palmer also explained how the two represent a different set of priorities for Denver.

Lock has struggled through his first two seasons, completing 59.1 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,953 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 18 games. Still, he only turns 25 in November and remains under contract for two more seasons.

This year is probably Lock's last shot to be the long-term solution at quarterback, so the Broncos might prefer to give him every opportunity to prove himself.

Bridgewater, on the other hand, is the safer choice and thus the obvious answer if Denver wants to start as strongly as possible out of the gate. The 28-year-old demonstrated his baseline as a starter in 2020, finishing with 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 69.1 percent of his attempts.

The downside is that Bridgewater probably doesn't have another level to reach, which may not apply to Lock. Josh Allen is a prime example of how a young passer can experience a breakthrough.

Based on how Fangio is approaching the preseason, the Broncos' quarterback battle is wide-open. That could change with how the next few weeks unfold.

As the Aaron Rodgers saga veers dangerously close to the start of training camp, the question remains: Will the Green Bay Packers truly entertain the possibility of trading the defending MVP? And which teams will pay the surely enormous price to land him?

The Denver Broncos have long been considered a potential suitor. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that, "Per a league source, the Broncos are leery about the total cost of trading for Rodgers, between his expected compensation and the general belief that the Packers would want three first-round picks and a second-round pick for him.

Here's what we know at the moment: So murky is the Rodgers' situation that a number of sportsbooks have pulled their NFC North markets, responding to speculation that Rodgers might retire, per Bill Huber of SI.com. 

Then there was this on Friday:

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have the same Instagram story up right now. pic.twitter.com/hDLE02V7fk

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) July 24, 2021

One interpretation? The Chicago Bulls dynasty, featuring Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, eventually ended—arguably before it needed to—as players and head coach Phil Jackson feuded with the direction the front office wanted to take the team. 

Perhaps Rodgers and Davante Adams—who reportedly had contract talks break down with the Packers this week, per ESPN—believe they are in a similar situation to those Bulls. Granted, Jordan, Pippen and Jackson were coming off three straight NBA titles, not two straight losses in the NFC Championship. 

As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in April, Rodgers' desire to leave the Packers stems from issues with management. At every turn, the Packers have publicly maintained they won't trade the superstar quarterback. Neither side has budged to this point. 

But perhaps an enormous deal, like the one Florio mentioned, could sway Green Bay's thinking. Would Denver be willing to offer such a haul, though? Is their roster close enough title contention to give up that level of draft capital for a player like Rodgers, especially given the lucrative extension he'll likely seek? 

Players like Rodgers don't grow on trees. There's no guarantee the Broncos will ever get another shot, with their current core, at a quarterback this good. The price point might hurt—and Denver could wait to see if it comes down—but titles soothe all wounds. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the perfect example of how a franchise quarterback can turn a promising team into a champion. 

It might be a gamble the Broncos have to take. 

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is reportedly preparing to play during the 2021 season despite the NFL's ongoing investigation into 22 civil lawsuits filed against him by women alleging sexual assault or misconduct.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the update Thursday on SportsCenter and noted Watson, who requested a trade before the allegations became public, is "intrigued" by the Denver Broncos if he's ultimately dealt by the Texans:

I spoke with a source close to Watson who said he's been working out rigorously since early June and he has a plan. And he plans to play somehow, somewhere and eventually. So, it's not clear-cut right now because his cases are not resolved. The league is still investigating. Now, I spoke to somebody in Houston who said they believe that he largely won't be expected in training camp because that's a precedent he set early in the offseason, that he wasn't going to show up, but there is no clarity on that yet. The league can always place him on the Commissioner's Exempt List as they get closer to camp, which would keep him away.

Now, we know the Eagles are well-positioned. They have a lot of draft capital in the future, as our Adam Schefter pointed out. Also, don't sleep on Denver here because I have been told that Watson has long been intrigued by the Broncos. They have good options on offense, and Denver is believed to be at least one of the teams that's from afar monitoring the quarterback landscape around the league, Watson included.

In March, Watson posted a statement on Twitter after the first lawsuit of this nature was filed against him. He said the woman's lawyer had made a "baseless six-figure settlement demand" that he rejected:

pic.twitter.com/ZVb2R2mFlc

— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) March 17, 2021

"Mr. Watson has been adamant that he did not engage in any improper conduct and we strongly believe him," Rusty Hardin, the quarterback's lawyer, said in an April statement.

The NFL called allegations in the 22 lawsuits "deeply disturbing" and confirmed it opened an investigation under its personal conduct policy on April 6. No additional details have been released.

Watson's uncertain availability for the 2021 campaign led Houston to overhaul its quarterback room during the offseason with the addition of veterans Tyrod Taylor and Jeff Driskel along with rookie Davis Mills, a third-round pick out of Stanford in this year's draft.

If the 25-year-old Clemson product is cleared to play, it's unknown whether he'll stick by his prior trade request and seek a move out of Houston before the regular season kicks off in September.

Watson has been one of the NFL's best signal-callers since the Texans selected him in the first round of the 2017 draft. He's completed 67.8 percent of his throws for 14,539 yards with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions across 54 games. He's added 1,677 rushing yards and 17 scores on the ground.

He'd be a definite on-field upgrade for the Broncos, who are currently slated to have a quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater during training camp and the preseason.

Denver's offense otherwise features ample upside with two solid running backs (Melvin Gordon III and Royce Freeman), one of the league's most underrated wide receiver quartets (Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler) and a high-upside tight end (Noah Fant).

The unit could take off in a major way if the front office is able to add a star quarterback to take advantage of that plethora of playmakers. Aaron Rodgers, whose status with the Green Bay Packers is uncertain, is another signal-caller who could be of interest if he becomes of available.

Denver is scheduled to open the regular season Sept. 12 when it visits the New York Giants. The NFL hasn't provided a timetable for a ruling on Watson's status for the start of the campaign.

Former NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs died at the age of 80.

Gibbs worked with a number of teams across the league but is recognized mostly for his 14 years with the Denver Broncos. He was on the staff when the franchise won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998 and helped the team reach Super Bowl 48 at the end of the 2013 season.

In a statement, the Broncos said they are "deeply saddened" by Gibbs' death:

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Alex Gibbs, who had a profound impact on the Denver Broncos & the @NFL as an offensive line coach.

Our hearts go out to Alex’s wife, Trina, and the entire Gibbs family as well as Alex’s many former players and fellow coaches. 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/lL0050xdt0

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 12, 2021

"During his 14 years with the Broncos, Coach Gibbs left a lasting legacy on this league with his innovative blocking schemes and outstanding teaching ability," the team said. "He helped the Broncos to Super Bowls during three different decades—including back-to-back World Championships—while forging a reputation as one of the greatest assistant coaches in NFL history."

Gibbs helped to transform Denver's offense by utilizing a zone blocking scheme, which asked linemen to work more collaboratively than focusing on only one defender as they traditionally do in a man-to-man scheme.

Terrell Davis was by far Gibbs' biggest success story. The Hall of Famer ran for 6,413 yards through his first four seasons before his career was derailed by injuries. Almost as impressive, Denver's staff helped turn Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson into 1,000-yard rusher during their rookie seasons.

Having already worked with the Broncos in the mid-'80s, Gibbs returned following the arrival of Mike Shanahan as head coach in 1995. He remained there until 2003. During that span, the team finished with a top-five rushing offense in seven seasons.

Gibbs also spent time as an assistant or consultant with the Raiders, Chargers, Colts, Chiefs, Falcons, Texans and Seahawks, and began his coaching career in the college ranks.

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller says the impending birth of his son is motivating him to continue his career for at least another five seasons.

"I've got a son," Miller told 9NEWS. "He'll be here in about three or four weeks. I definitely want him to be able to see me play. That's going to take about five to seven years. That's what I have on my heart, that's what I have on my mind, another five to seven years. Whatever God will give me, I'm going to take it."

Miller is heading into the final year of his contract with the Broncos and is 32 years old. Already an elder statesman with a decade of NFL experience under his belt, Miiller would be well into his late 30s if his plan comes to fruition.

Questions about Miller's future are louder than usual after he missed the entire 2020 season with an ankle injury. He had been remarkably healthy throughout his career, playing at least 15 games in eight of his nine previous seasons.

A Pro Bowler six straight seasons before the injury (eight overall), Miller has gone from franchise cornerstone to a player whose future in Denver is very much up in the air. The fact that little traction has been made on a contract extension indicates the Broncos want the 2021 season to play out before making any long-term commitments.

If Miller is the player he was before the injury, odds are he'll have no trouble finding a deal that takes him closer to when his son can watch him play. If the injury leads to Miller being a lesser player upon his return, he may not have the option of playing another half-decade.

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock avoided injury after a lug nut nearly pierced his car's windshield as he traveled through Kansas on Wednesday.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said a car traveling on the opposite side of Interstate 70 lost a tire and it crossed the median. While Lock was able to avoid the tire, the lug nut became lodged in his windshield, per KDVR's Colleen Flynn.

KHP Trooper Ben Gardner posted photos from the scene and wished Lock continued safety:

Safe travels the rest of your way across Kansas @DrewLock23 👍

Crazy having a (lug-nut) fly across the median striking your windshield and nearly go through it!

Glad your #seatbelt was fastened. 👍

Have a safe season now and into the future. #ServiceCourtesyProtection 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DXDLon2l0Y

— Trooper Ben (@TrooperBenKHP) July 7, 2021

Lock's car was towed away from the scene for repairs, per Flynn.

The 24-year-old Missouri native is preparing for a training-camp battle with Teddy Bridgewater for the Broncos' starting quarterback job heading into the 2021 NFL season. Denver opens camp July 27.

Lock has completed 59.1 percent of his throws for 3,953 yards with 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions across 18 games since the Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He ranked 29th out of 33 qualified signal-callers in ESPN's Total QBR last season. Bridgewater was 17th.

Denver's incumbent starter is hopeful being challenged will push him to another level.

"I'm here to compete and do everything you can to be the best quarterback for this team," Lock said in May. "That is the mindset that I have right now. It's going to be fun. I'm excited to be able to go out there and have this competition, push myself to a whole different level that maybe I wouldn't have gotten to without this."

The Broncos open the preseason Aug. 14 when they visit U.S. Bank Stadium to face the Minnesota Vikings.

Justin Simmons is fresh off a Pro Bowl season in 2020 after setting a career high in interceptions with five. On Monday, he joined B/R for an AMA that covered his Pro Bowl selection, the NFL's biggest trash-talker, his thoughts on the Aaron Rodgers saga, Demaryius Thomas' retirement and more.

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@notdeucetatum What was your favorite memory at BC?

My favorite memory at BC is by far our Red Bandana Game for Welles Crowther. Him and the Crowther family...

We were playing USC, and I think they were ranked somewhere in the top-10, and we ended up winning a high-scoring game. The fact we won a high-scoring game against a top-10 opponent was amazing. Fans stormed the field, the whole nine.

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@CryingCarr Which safety did you model your game after?

I would say there's bits and pieces of safeties I watched growing up. Brian Dawkins, his passion and intensity. Another guy I feel like always does the little things is Eric Weddle. A guy that maybe doesn't get as much notoriety that he should.

I wouldn't say there's one guy who I model my game after, there's a bunch of guys.

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@rutilab What was your welcome to the NFL moment?

We were playing the Patriots my rookie year at home. It was my first time playing them; Tom & Co. everyone knows the legacy they come with. I'm not sure what happened, but a false start was called or…

All I remember was the ref standing right next to me and Tom was yelling at him and practically quoting the rulebook. I was walking away as a rookie, and I remember hearing that and being like, "Welcome to the NFL." Of course this guy would be quoting the rulebook.

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@BostonMecca How did it feel to make the Pro Bowl? (Especially because there wasn't an actual game—did that kind of ruin some of the feeling?)

I'll say it's probably the most significant/important achievement in terms of my short football career because of all of the ups and downs and the challenges that this previous season presented. There was a lot of responsibilities that fell on myself and Kareem. That's why I take a lot of pride in the fact that at least on a personal level we were able to persevere. Not being able to play in the game was a bummer, and obviously completely understanding that it was all for safety reasons, but it stinks that it had to have happened around your first Pro Bowl bid.

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@belacsmoon What inspired you to create your foundation? (Focuses on youth initiatives) 

I spent the first four years of my career attending all of my teammates' events. Both my wife and I really wanted to take our time and not just jump into something we were half-hearted about. It took us four years to find people we were comfortable working with that had the same passion for our youth. Both my wife and I, we know the importance of speaking life into our youth. When you invest your time or your energy into our youth, you'll see how they just blossom. You're able to help them reach dreams that they didn't even think were achievable. I'm a product of that. I know how important it is to invest in our youth. My wife and I want to make sure the youth out there know there are people in their corner that will always try to help them every facet to give them any type of support that they need.

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@fitchkarma66 Who is the funniest player in the locker room? 

The funniest guy...that's a good question. Von is funny. I may be biased cause I'm around DBs a lot. I think Kareem is the funniest guy. He's the older vet.

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@SmokingGun The best part of playing in Denver is what?

My favorite part has just been the fan experience. I knew about Denver before getting drafted there. The year prior they had won the Super Bowl. Growing up, my dad was a football fanatic and told me about the Orange Crush, but I didn't know much.

Being from South Florida, I didn't know much about out West.

The fans are the best. They're crazy, they're loud and supportive. And it's just the best to see the sea of orange in the crowd.

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@parker_A_O Is there a specific player you have gone up against who has talked the most trash?

Outside of Tom...he talks a lot of trash. The guy that talks trash the most that I've been on the field with is Philip Rivers.

It's like that competitive, rival school around the block vibe. It was great. You could tell he enjoyed it whether they were winning or losing.

Philip Rivers is by far the biggest trash talker that I've been around.

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@dillonerf21 Your favorite NBA player? 

I was a big Kobe Bryant fan growing up. I love his game, mindset and his attitude. I loved it all. I will always be Mamba for life. I love watching Steph and Dame. If you ever get to watch the Warriors or Blazers, those guys are always putting on a show.

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@delusionalfan1 Your favorite current safety to watch outside of your own teammates?

I love watching Ramsey. I watch Devin McCourty week in, week out. Minkah Fitzpatrick. Tyrann Mathieu. Any time, I play one of those teams, I'll watch a ton of film on them. Budda Baker, Eddie Jackson, just to name a few.

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@mario_judah How did it feel to hear about Demaryius Thomas retiring? 

It was crazy. Crazy in a good way. I saw the video the Broncos released, it brought back some memories.

DT is one of the most underrated receivers. A lot of people wouldn't know that he was just a genuinely great dude. T.J. Ward was the first guy that reached out to me when I got drafted. In the locker room, guys would say if you ever need anything hit me up, but DT went out of his way to introduce himself. That was just his character. His work ethic and all that stuff, that'll always be there. But as a teammate, I appreciated his character the most. I'm happy for him. It seems like he came to this decision and was content with it.

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@jacobbenvenuto How do you feel about the Aaron Rodgers rumors and would you like to see him in Denver?

Yea, that's obviously the elephant in the room. Every Broncos player has been asked. I always say that obviously AR is AR. He's a HOF type of QB. You know what he's gonna bring to any team he goes to.

I never like focusing on the what ifs. If it happens, it happens. 

But I don't like playing on the what ifs. Right now, Drew Lock and Teddy are our guys going into the season. I want to make sure that they know I'm rolling with them, and I got their back. I'm confident in what they can do for our team.

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Rapid Fire

@SFB_ Favorite Movie? 

Interstellar

Friday series. I always sit down and watch if it's on TV.

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@bucketsbob00 Favorite cartoon?

Rocket Power. That was my favorite

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@tarantino1 Your favorite shoe?

My fave shoe now is probably Vans. Specifically, my Fear of God vans. Those are probably my all-time favorite shoes. Stephon Marbury had really affordable basketball shoes in all different colors for $15, I used to love those things as a kid. You couldn't catch me without them.

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@sunsin6ix Your go-to pregame snack?

Not really. If I need something, I'm constantly eating fruit. I love pineapple.

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@cottonwood Do you eat mac & cheese with a fork or a spoon? 

Fork.

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@aendorf22 The first big purchase you made after you were drafted was ___?

My truck. It was a Ford F-150 King Ranch.

NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning congratulated his former teammate Demaryius Thomas on an "incredible NFL career" after the longtime wideout announced his retirement Monday.

“I’m Demaryius Thomas, and I’ve finally come to a decision to hang it up. I’m going to retire, and I’m going to retire a Denver Bronco.” pic.twitter.com/Q6nNrxc59B

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 28, 2021

“I always had great respect for your toughness, your work ethic, your fearlessness across the middle, your ability to make big catches in big games. … You did it the right way.”

Peyton Manning on Demaryius Thomas: pic.twitter.com/3RhBODuhP8

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 28, 2021

Thomas, who last appeared in an NFL game in 2019, finished his career with 724 receptions for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns. He spent nine-and-a-half seasons with the Broncos, along with tenures with the Houston Texans (2018) and New York Jets (2019).

But his best seasons undoubtedly came with Manning at the helm between 2012 and 2015. In those years, he posted two seasons with 100 or more receptions, three seasons with 1,400 or more receiving yards and three seasons with double-digit touchdowns. He never dipped below 90 receptions or 1,300 receiving yards while paired with Manning.