No NFL Sympathy for the Denver Broncos

COVID-19 has made things more interesting in the NFL this year, and that’s probably the understatement of the season.

While the San Francisco 49ers now have nowhere to play due to a local ban on contact sports and the New Orleans Saints were fined $500,000 for failing to wear masks, the most interesting development might be the fact that the Denver Broncos had to play a game without any full-time quarterbacks.

A Team Without a Rudder

The rudder of a ship is the item that helps to direct it and move it where the captain wants it to go. The Denver Broncos were forced to play a backup wide receiver at quarterback on Sunday 11/29 because of the failure to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. This is a situation that every team in the NFL was supposed to fight against when the season began.

What Happened to the QB Room of the Broncos

The QB room for the Denver Broncos was made up of four men who worked together to plan and prepare for each game. This room included starter Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien, third-string QB Jeff Driskel, and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles. On Wednesday, all four were deemed to be high-risk close contact for COVID-19 when Driskel tested positive for the virus. How could the coaching staff allow this to take place?

Irresponsibility Looms Large Where Professionalism Belongs

All four quarterbacks in the QB room reportedly weren’t wearing masks the whole time they were together. Additionally, they weren’t using a room that would allow for proper social distancing to ensure they wouldn’t be considered in close contact with each other. This report was confirmed and the irresponsible nature of this group showed itself on Sunday as a backup wide receive was the person who had to take snaps for this NFL team.

All Four Did Not Test Positive

Thankfully, three of the four quarterbacks in the room did not test positive for COVID-19. In fact, Lock, Rypien, and Bortles all have consistently tested negative and have not had any symptoms. This means the simple act of wearing a mask and practicing proper social distancing could have allowed any of these three to play quarterback for the Denver Broncos had they not been so flippant about the NFL protocols that were put in place.

The Broncos Scrambled to Find a Players

The Denver Broncos turned to practice squad rooking wide receiver Kendall Hinton and number 3 running back Royce Freeman to take the snaps at quarterback on Sunday against the NewOrleans Saints. Hinton had never appeared in a professional game and this probably wasn’t his idea of how to make his debut, but there he was.

Limited Experience Showed, but Don’t Fault Hinton

Kendall Hinton did play three seasons at quarterback in college and had been deemed the emergency QB for the Denver Broncos. Surely, Hinton never thought he would make his NFL debut as a QB, but he started the game after being told only one day before that would be the case. While he only completed one of nine passes and threw two interceptions, none of the fault for his performance should be placed on his shoulders.

What Brought the Broncos to be Poorly Prepared?

Even though the NFL cleared the Broncos to practice on Thanksgiving Day after Driskel tested positive, another player, Deontae Spencer tested positive along with two staffers. Broncos coach Vic Fangio decided to shut down the building on Friday and the team conducted meetings remotely. Lock, Rypien, and Bortles were sent home on Saturday due to the close contact, which left one day to prepare Hinton for his unfortunate debut.

No Sympathy from the NFL

The Denver Broncos aren’t the only team facing positive COVID-19 cases, but they seem to be the team that isn’t getting any sympathy from the NFL. In fact, the Baltimore Ravens have had a dozen positive cases in their team and staff but the game that was supposed to take place against the Pittsburgh Steelers was pushed back to Tuesday. The difference between these two situations isthe fact that the Ravens followed all protocols but still had positive tests while the Broncos did not.

Incredulous Broncos and a Ticked Off NFL

While the NFL can’t do a lot to players regarding COVID-19 cases, when stated protocols aren’t being followed, they won’t have any sympathy at all. Since three of the QBs began their five days of quarantine on Saturday, the game would have needed to be moved to Wednesday or later, which would seriously disrupt the NFL schedule. This wasn’t going to take place when the four men in the room didn’t act responsibly and follow protocols, regardless of how irate the rest of the team was. This should serve as a lesson to the Broncos and the rest of the NFL to follow the stated COVID-19 protocols.