Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater have just spent the past six weeks, most recently beneath a blazing hot sun, competing for the right to become the Broncos’ 2021 Opening Day quarterback. At the same time, the Broncos have been enthralled in numerous rumors regarding the status of Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson, two quarterbacks that could change the direction of the franchise.
Rodgers wants out of Green Bay, Watson wants out of Houston and both seem to want to play for the Broncos.
Lock and Bridgewater practiced on during the Broncos’ first mandatory minicamp session Tuesday.
“It can only be a distraction if I let it,’’ Lock, who had his best offseason practice in front of media viewing Tuesday, said in a sit-down interview with 9NEWS. “If I think about it for more than this conversation we’re having right now, then I would let it be a distraction. And if those guys are playing for Green Bay or they’re playing wherever they are, then they have a step advantage on me because I was thinking about it and not thinking about football and how we can get better.
“No, I don’t let it be a distraction. It came with the lack of wins last year. If we won 10 games, no one would be talking about it. If we won 11 games, nobody would be talking about it. If we won 12 games no one would talk about it. But due to play from last year, to stop those conversations from happening again, I need to play better this year and that’s where my energy was and that’s where all my focus was and that’s quite honestly why I didn’t think about it is because all my energy and all my time was focused elsewhere this offseason, and that was getting this team better.”
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
“I understand the nature of the business,’’ Bridgewater said in his sit-down chat Tuesday with 9NEWS. “I’ve been traded. I’ve had a team move on from me. I’ve been in free agency. I understand the nature of this business. I can’t get caught up in that. All I know is I have an opportunity every day to walk into this facility and be a Denver Bronco and be the best version of Teddy I can be, impact the guys that are here, and do my best on the football field. Everything else will take care of itself.
“You never take things personal. This is an opportunity, this is a gift and I’m just enjoying my opportunity right now.”
Lock will be entering his third season in the NFL. He played and started in 13 games for Denver in 2020. He had 2,933 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and a league-leading 15 interceptions.
Bridgewater played one season with the Panthers and had 3,733 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 15 games.
