Peyton Manning Weighs in on Drew Lock, Broncos' QB Status: 'I'm Pulling for Drew'

In a strong show of support, Peyton Manning weighed in on Drew Lock's 2020 season and future in Denver.

On the heels of being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot, Peyton Manning is making the media rounds. In a chat with 9NEWS' Mike Klis, the NFL's only five-time MVP weighed in on Drew Lock and provided some context to the young quarterback's struggles last season. 

“I’m a Bronco fan, I’m a Drew Lock fan," Manning told Klis. "Look, last year for anybody who had a new offensive coordinator and a younger quarterback it was going to be challenging." 

Indeed, the Broncos were one of the teams hit hardest by the collateral effects of the pandemic because A.) they were exceedingly young on offense and B.) there was a new playbook to assimilate. Lock rolled with those punches and actually started off the 2020 campaign on solid footing, despite losing out on any OTAs and preseason reps.

Lock played well in Week 1 vs. Tennessee, passing for 216 yards and a touchdown and finishing with a 95.0 QB rating. The Broncos lost that game but not for lack of anything Lock did. 

The next week, catastrophe struck as Lock was sacked 13 snaps into a game at Pittsburgh, injuring his throwing shoulder. He wouldn't return until Week 6 but when he did, he played well, becoming the youngest QB to win at Gillette Stadium and leading the Broncos to a victory over the New England Patriots. 

From there, things devolved and it's hard to put a finger on exactly why Lock backpedaled. He threw a lot of interceptions, made countless bad decisions, and what was worse, he repeated those mistakes over and over again. 

Meanwhile, young QBs around the NFL similarly affected by the pandemic were putting up numbers, like Justin Herbert in L.A. and Kyler Murray in Arizona. A veteran all-timer like Tom Brady, in his first year in Tampa Bay, got off to a somewhat rocky start but went on to have a very successful season despite not having OTAs and a preseason. 

“The teams that really got into the hunt this year had veteran quarterbacks, veteran coordinators, had some chemistry together," Manning continued to Klis. "Brady was kind of the exception. I think Tampa figured out they were better off running a lot of his plays.'' 

Undoubtedly, having that veteran wherewithal at quarterback gave those teams like the Bucs a leg up on the competition. Even teams like the Chargers and Cardinals, who saw their young QBs play well, didn't have team success at the end of the day. 

Lock bounced back from Week 11 on and finished the season strong. But the Broncos finished 5-11 and John Elway (Drew's biggest proponent) relinquished his GM duties at season's end. 

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Lock's modest improvements down the stretch were good to see but it's possible it was too little too late. With GM George Paton already kicking the tires on veteran upgrades at QB, it doesn't feel like Lock is viewed as Plan A anymore. 

But Manning still holds out hope that Lock can pick up where he left off last year. That, however, will require a few dominoes outside of Lock's control to fall his way. 

“Took them a while to figure that out but with the pandemic offseason, not having much time, it’s just not easy," Manning told Klis. "I’m pulling for Drew. I’m excited for their prospects with a full year and an offseason. I’m excited for him to have a good year this year." 

If the Broncos ultimately opt to run it back with Lock one last year, there is reason for even the most pessimistic fans to have hope. For the first time since his sophomore/junior years at Missouri, Lock will have the same offensive coordinator and scheme in back-to-back seasons. 

The last time Lock received coaching and schematic continuity, he set the SEC on fire statistically, setting the Conference's all-time single-season record for passing touchdowns with 41. There's no guarantee that display would serve as a harbinger for Lock in 2021 but it wasn't a coincidence. 

Quarterbacks, and any young player, frankly, crave continuity. Consistency in the coaching, scheme, and overall culture and supporting cast is huge for a quarterback. 

The fly in the ointment for Lock is the incessant rumors tying the Broncos to Houston's disgruntled QB Deshaun Watson. It would seem that after swinging and missing on Matthew Stafford, Paton has been tied to Watson, including by Klis himself. 

If the Texans make Watson available, it's safe to assume Paton will again swing but landing him won't be cheap. If it's another swing and a miss, expect Paton to devolve back to Lock with a new, more accomplished veteran to be signed in free agency to serve a true fail-safe. 

Manning still believes in Lock. But do the Broncos? Time will tell. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.