Drew Lock returns to practice, but Broncos haven’t decided on his plans for this year
Former Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson once famously derided practice*, but former Lee’s Summit/Mizzou star Drew Lock was thrilled to be taking reps Tuesday with the Broncos.
*“What are we talking about? Practice? We’re talking about practice, man?”
Lock, who was the Broncos’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, had been out of action since injuring his thumb during a preseason game in August. Denver put the quarterback on injured reserve shortly after that.
Cecil Lammey of The Fan 104.3 in Denver reported Lock was on the field Tuesday “getting the third-team reps behind starter Brandon Allen and backup Brett Rypien. Lock was getting the same amount of snaps as the other two at the beginning of practice, but there were some drills later on where Lock did not get a single rep.”
Lock was thrilled:
Broncos coach Vic Fangio told reporters he hasn’t “mapped out” Lock’s return, and the team’s website noted Lock must be added to Denver’s active roster within 21 days or he will go back to injured reserve for the rest of the season.
“We’ll try to get him as many (snaps) as we can,” Fangio told reporters, per the team’s website. “Some of that will be scout team, too. You’ve got to remember, this guy hasn’t taken a snap (or) been in the huddle since the middle of August or early August.”
Brandon Allen, who was claimed off waivers earlier this season, was under center for the Broncos in their last game, a 24-19 win over the Browns. ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote the Allen, who replaced the injured Joe Flacco, will continue to get to start during the three weeks the team has to decide Lock’s status for 2019.
“Even if Lock moves to the active roster, a start Dec. 8 in Houston or Dec. 15 in Kansas City seems like a big ask for a player who had not practiced since mid-August,” Legwold wrote.
Could Allen’s performance in the coming weeks play into the Broncos’ plans for Lock?
“That’s part of the equation also,” Fangio told Legwold.
So it seems how well Lock practices and the play of Allen could determine whether Lock is added to the Broncos’ roster this season.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 10:43 AM.
