By Arnie Stapleton
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos won’t have any of their four quarterbacks available Sunday when they face the New Orleans Saints because of coronavirus concerns, multiple people familiar with the NFL’s investigation told The Associated Press.
One person told The AP that starter Drew Lock, backup Brett Rypien and practice squad veteran Blake Bortles were deemed high-risk close contacts with No. 3 quarterback Jeff Driskel on Wednesday, the day before Driskel tested positive for COVID-19.
Another person, also speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, said the four quarterbacks apparently weren’t wearing their masks the whole time they were together as required by the league’s pandemic protocols.
The people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the NFL and the Broncos hadn’t made any announcements after Lock, Rypien and Bortles were ordered off the practice field Saturday and into isolation.
The Broncos were scrambling to prepare practice squad rookie receiver Kendall Hinton and No. 3 running back Royce Freeman to share snaps at quarterback Sunday when Denver (4-6) hosts the Saints (8-2).
Hinton played quarterback for three seasons in college and Freeman is the team’s emergency QB.
The NFL cleared the Broncos to practice on Thanksgiving Day after Driskel tested positive for the virus and again Friday after kick returner Deontae Spencer tested positive along with two staffers. But coach Vic Fangio decided to shut down the building Friday and the team conducted meetings remotely.
Lock, Rypien and Bortles were loosening up before Saturday’s short walkthrough practice when they were pulled off the field and sent home.
They’ll have to quarantine for several days and in order to return next week will have to continue to test negative for COVID-19. The NFL isn’t allowing any teams to gather until Wednesday out of concern the Thanksgiving holiday might have exposed players to infection.
After learning of their dire situation at quarterback, the Broncos’ brain trust of Fangio, general manager John Elway and team president and CEO Joe Ellis spoke with officials from NFL headquarters.
The league decided not force Denver to forfeit the game or to postpone it like they did the Steelers-Ravens matchup that was pushed back from Thanksgiving to Sunday and then again to Tuesday night after the Ravens’ virus outbreak.
A virus outbreak in New England last month forced the Broncos’ game at Gillette Stadium to get pushed back a week and essentially cost Denver its bye week because of the domino effect on the team’s schedule.