The Denver Broncos might've just closed the door on the Drew Lock era, as head coach Vic Fangio told reporters on Wednesday that Teddy Bridgewater was named the team's starting quarterback.
And while the training camp battle was called "really, really close" by Fangio, Denver sports reporter Troy Renck believes the team's decision came down to Fangio realizing that he desperately needs to win games in September.
"This coaching staff is on the hot seat -- they have got to win," Renck told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Thursday. "I think in the NFL, if you look at the history of it, if a coach is coaching for his job, what does he typically do? Go with the veteran. And that's almost always the case in the NFL when you feel like a coach is protecting his job. And that doesn't necessarily benefit the franchise's future, but that's the reality of the position when you have Fangio in his third year trying to have a winning record."
Bridgewater, who'll become the 11th quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning retired in 2016, started 15 games for the Carolina Panthers last season. The former first-round pick completed a career-high 69.1-percent of his passes for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, but failed to win more than four games. In April, one day before the NFL Draft, Denver acquired Bridgewater from Carolina in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Lock, the Broncos' second-round pick in 2019, started 13 games last season. His numbers were poor, as he tied the league lead in interceptions and ranked last among starters in overall completion percentage. Denver hasn't finished a season scoring 23-plus points per game since 2014, and hasn't been to the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 with Manning.
Denver will open the 2021 campaign on the road against the New York Giants on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Broncos currently have the second-best odds (+600) to win the AFC West, and the 10th-best odds (+2000) to win the conference. Through two seasons under Fangio's stewardship, the team is 12-20, including 0-7 in September.
The entire Broncos conversation between Renck and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.