'Pretty Sore' Broncos QB Drew Lock Could Miss Week 11 vs. Dolphins

Lock strained his ribs in Sunday's loss to Las Vegas.

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock strained a muscle around his ribs — but did not suffer any fractures or structural injuries — in Sunday's blowout loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio admitted Monday that Lock is "pretty sore" from his Raiders beating and could sit out Wednesday's practice if the pain persists. Which makes the second-year signal-caller (unofficially) questionable to suit up in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins.

"That will definitely enter into the equation, you know, we definitely want Drew to have a good week of preparation so he's ready to play the game so that could enter into the equation as we go into the week," Fangio said when asked if Lock's availability is based on practice time, via ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

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A continuing theme due to his makeshift offensive line, Lock was under duress from the opening snap in Las Vegas, absorbing seven hits and two sacks. One particular blow to Lock’s midsection caused him visible discomfort throughout the game, though he did not miss a snap.

The 24-year-old shrugged off the injury in his post-game conference call with reporters, suggesting his psyche hurt worse than his body.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'll be good. I'm definitely frustrated after a day like that," he said. "There's a lot of stuff I need to work on and a lot of stuff I can get better at. So, we just have to keep pushing and practicing."

Lock finished 23-of-47 for 257 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions amid Denver's 37-12 waxing. He dropped to 6-6 as the team's starter across two incomplete seasons, while the Broncos now sit 3-6 overall and all but eliminated from playoff contention.

Behind Lock on the depth chart are Brett Rypien and Jeff Driskel, both of whom have made starts for the club in 2020.

"With his injury the way it is, it's an injury that I think is day to day where a lot of improvements can be made, and we'll see how he does with it," Fangio said Monday.

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Zack Kelberman
ZACK KELBERMAN

Zack Kelberman is the Senior Editor for Mile High Huddle. He has covered the NFL for more than a decade and the Denver Broncos since 2016. He's also the co-host of the wildly popular Broncos show the Mile High Huddle Podcast.