3 Reasons Broncos Fans Question Teddy Bridgewater Being Named Starting QB

Here's why a large swath of Broncos Country is scratching their heads after Teddy Bridgewater was named the starting quarterback in Denver.

After months of anticipation, the Denver Broncos finally concluded their annual quarterback competition by naming seventh-year veteran Teddy Bridgewater the starter.

This decision may come as a shock to much of the fanbase, as the consensus heading into training camp was that it was Drew Lock’s job to lose.

So where does that leave the Broncos going forward? Why are so many fans upset that it wasn’t Lock named as the starter? Near as I can tell, there are three reasons. Let's dive in. 

QB Position Beyond 2021 is a Mystery

The biggest reason fans are scratching their heads is what this decision signals for the position going forward. Bridgewater is on a one-year deal and will hit free agency following this season.

What if Teddy does what many believe he is capable of doing and finishes the season with around 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, propelling this team to 10-plus wins and a potential playoff berth? How would Denver price a possible extension in that scenario?

We have seen several teams in recent history regret handing out large contracts to players with small sample sizes of success (see: Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Case Keenum, Brock Osweiler). You can even put Bridgewater in this category after his small but successful sample size in New Orleans got him paid by Carolina, although the Panthers were able to get out from under his deal fairly easily after one year.

The Broncos' decision to go with Bridgewater likely signals a complete reset on the quarterback room following the 2021 season.

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Lock Never got a Chance to Reach his Full Potential

Another argument for why Lock should have been named the starter is his perceived higher ceiling compared to Bridgewater. During his two-year NFL tenure, Lock has barely played a full season’s worth of games (18 starts) and had to change offensive coordinators every year of his career dating back to his senior year at Missouri.

Additionally, Lock has had to face adversity both with the pandemic season and on the injury front, having been banged himself twice in his short career. He has also had to deal with a myriad of injuries to key teammates around him — most notably Courtland Sutton missing almost all of last season as well as numerous on the defensive side of the ball, which only put pressure on the offense. 

Many will argue that this was the first time Lock really had a full offseason to improve and prepare for the season. And from what we have seen of him during the preseason, he has shown improvement in many of the areas that have plagued him up to this point. Even offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur acknowledged how much growth Lock has shown this offseason. 

Questions Raised About the 2021 Draft

Last but not least, this decision raises a lot of questions about how the Broncos handled this year’s NFL draft. Maybe the Broncos view Teddy as a viable long-term starting QB. But if the team's on the other end of this in thinking that Teddy is more of a bridge starter (no pun intended), why did GM George Paton not draft a quarterback to develop behind him?

This also goes without saying, barring an early season change due to poor play or injury with Teddy, Lock’s tenure appears to be over in Denver.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, this Broncos roster has plenty of talent across the board to complete for the playoffs this season — regardless of whether the starting quarterback is Bridgewater or Lock.

While this decision may be frustrating to a large segment of the fanbase who favored Lock, it’s time for everyone to support Teddy and give him the best possible chance to succeed.

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