‘Tis the season for quarterback controversy

A quarterback controversy is upon us, if we like it or not.

Many already know of my feelings about Joe Flacco and especially after his embarrassing, rookie-like performance against the Chiefs, I personally believe he should never take another snap for the Denver Broncos. Though that’s unlikely to happen, Drew Lock is technically available to start Week 11 if he starts practicing soon and it leaves the team with a few options that will help determine the near and distant future for the team.

I will lay out the options - as I see them - and wrap things up with which I like best.

Option #1 - Joe Flacco is our future until he isn’t

Since our 34-year-old QB is “in his prime”, perhaps we only need a semi-adequate Offensive Line and he will return to Super Bowl MVP form. Young guys are so unpredictable and it’s best to go with a proven quantity and build a better team around him.

Option #2 - Joe Flacco until 2020, Drew Lock red-shirts in 2019 and is given then reigns Week 1 next year.

Drew Lock has been hurt all year but the Broncos have seen enough to be convinced that he is a better option for the team than any draftee in 2020. You ride out this season with Flacco and then go all-in on the kid in what will essentially be a rookie season.

Option #3 - Joe Flacco never touches the ball again, Allen starts against the Colts and Lock takes over from Week 9 onwards.

In this case Lock can hopefully show if he is the future or not and if not, they can draft someone next year and move on.

Option #4 - Flacco or Allen in 2019, Tom Brady in 2020 and Lock when Brady retires.

Okay, this is pretty nuts but it’s more than just a rumor now that Brady could be playing his last season with the Patriots. This is coming from Adam Schefter and thus can’t be swept under the rug as just dumb gossip. If he does become available Elway signs the vet and lets Lock learn from one of the best.

So, option #4 seems really unlikely as Brady won’t likely want to play behind a bad line with a young coaching staff and a messy front office. As nice as it would be to have Brady here - and it would be! - this ain’t likely to happen.

If option #1 happens I may just tune out for a few years and become a full-time Nuggets fan (as I talk about in detail in our podcast - linked above.)

So, it comes down to options #2 and #3 and I fully admit that in the last few weeks - especially following the KC loss - I was 100% behind the idea of Lock starting as soon as he is able. Joe Rowles fought with me a bit on Twitter about it and it made me at least consider the idea of red-shirting Lock until 2020.

You can, however, only go all-in on Lock next season if you are sure that he “can” be the guy to lead the team for the future. If the Broncos believe that he can be “the guy” then this is a totally good and sensical plan. You let him continue to learn the system and get healthy in 2019 and then build the O-line a WR corps in the next draft.

The problem with this idea is that it doesn’t seem likely that the Front Office is sure about the kid. At least, not sure enough to not be drawn into picking one of the QBs in the first few picks in 2020. If the team isn’t sold on Lock then they will be forced to start him ASAP this season.

So, to wrap up....

I hope Flacco never touches the ball again. If the Broncos are sold on Lock then I hope he sits for the rest of the year and Elway fixes the line in the offseason. If the team isn’t sure about the Missouri product then he 100% should playout the rest of the season starting with Cleveland.