Broncos Having No Backup Plan for Drew Lock is a Bad Sign

The Denver Broncos loved what they saw from Drew Lock in 2019. Lock led the Broncos to a 4-1 record in five starts and he is now the undisputed starting quarterback after the team released Joe Flacco after just one season.

Moving on from Flacco was the right move. The problem is that Lock has barely any experience and the two quarterbacks behind him on the depth chart are Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien. The five starts were promising, but having no legitimate backup plan is a bad sign, even if the hype is real.

Drafting Lock after signing Flacco was the perfect long-term plan for a team that has had trouble finding a solid quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. Having a backup plan in place is not a sign that the team is doubting Lock. It just prevents a situation where an injury or a slow start wastes yet another season.

The Broncos have added Melvin Gordon to the backfield this offseason. Philip Lindsay has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and Courtland Sutton is solid at receiver. A scenario where Lock gets injured, as he did during the 2019 preseason, could waste all that talent on offense. Or what if he shows severe regression?

John Elway has not shown much of an ability to find quarterback talent. Manning landed in his lap and since then the team has been searching for a new franchise signal-caller. Lock could be that guy. Elway should just have a contingency plan in place just in case the 23-year-old needs more time to develop after only five career games.