ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the on-field scenario many in the league feared the most with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Denver Broncos plan to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday with no available quarterbacks for the game.
The Broncos’ three eligible quarterbacks — Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, and Blake Bortles — were every deemed to be high-risk COVID-19 shut contacts and none of the three could be in uniform for Sunday’s sport, the group announced on Saturday night.
Denver’s statement did not say who the players got here in touch with but sources told ESPN it was quarterback Jeff Driskel. Driskel examined positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and was moved to the group’s reserve/COVID-19 listing later that day.
The Broncos won’t be forfeiting Sunday’s sport, a supply advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Lock, Rypien, and Bortles, who’s on the apply squad, were pulled off the field early in Saturday’s apply and advised to isolate at home after contact-tracing concerns had arisen, sources advised ESPN. The three have been found to haven’t worn masks at one level during contact with Driskel, group sources advised ESPN, but it was unclear if that occurred throughout apply or a gathering.
The group’s assertion on Saturday stated Lock, Rypien, and Bortles aren’t experiencing any signs.
“All three have constantly examined negative for COVID-19 by way of each day PCR testing and extra POC testing administered as a precaution,” the Broncos stated.
Lock, Rypien, Bortles, and Driskel are often closest to one another when the gamers stretch to open apply every day — they’re all subsequent to one another within the entrance row at the moment — and the Broncos have conducted some socially distant position-group meetings at their facility.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio has previously stated operating again Royce Freeman is the group’s emergency quarterback.
The Broncos even have large receiver Kendall Hinton on their apply squad. He was a quarterback throughout his first three seasons at Wake Forest.
While Broncos tight finish Noah Fant appeared apprehensive in a Twitter publish about the team’s state of affairs, large receiver Jerry Jeudy and linebacker Von Miller took to social media to try to make mild of it.
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The Saints have been 6-point favorites earlier than the Broncos’ quarterback state of affairs was disclosed Saturday night time, inflicting most sportsbooks to halt betting on the sport. Las Vegas sportsbook Circa Sports reopened the road at New Orleans -13. The purpose spread shortly grew to Saints -14. Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill reposted the road with the Saints favored at -14.5.
All of it got here on quick for the Broncos, who had been given clearance by the NFL to practice Saturday. They opened the exercise, which started about 1 p.m. Mountain time, with the plan of getting all three of their quarterbacks to participate.
On Saturday, Fangio stated the quarterbacks are greater than six ft apart from one another throughout meetings and that “all our conferences are set as much as the place everybody’s unfolded out.”
Fangio said the NFL had cleared the Broncos to apply each Thursday and Friday after positive checks by Driskel and large receiver Diontae Spencer. Fangio, nevertheless, elected to cancel Friday’s practice and all other on-site activities.
Friday was the third time the Broncos have canceled practices and other on-site activities at their facility this season.
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