Broncos QB Drew Lock Nursing 'Blister' on Hand at OTAs
Right now, every movement, rep, snap, and comment on the quarterback position at Denver Broncos HQ is being magnified and blown out of proportion. As the incumbent Drew Lock begins the process of defending his job as the team's starter against the newcoming challenger Teddy Bridgewater, every little blurb goes under the microscope.
On Monday, as the Broncos reconvened for another OTA practice session, which included 11-on-11 team drills for the first time this offseason, it was observed by 9NEWS' Mike Klis that Lock seemed to be "playing with his hand" or something.
“I think he had a little blister on one of his fingers," head coach Vic Fangio answered on Monday. "That was part of the issue that you might be alluding to. I don’t know how much it bothered him.”
Those afflicted with 'Lock Derangement Syndrome' quickly took to social media to decry yet another physical ailment proving that the third-year QB simply can't stay healthy. Although we might roll our eyes at such superfluous hand-wringing, there is some truth to the issue of Lock struggling to give the Broncos 16-games at full health.
In 2019, as a rookie, Lock suffered a sprained thumb on his throwing hand in the Broncos' third preseason game, causing him to go on injured reserve. He wasn't activated until Week 13 but he went from IR to the starting lineup within a 24-hour window but won his first two starts as a pro.
In 2020, Lock had to miss time again as he suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in Week 2 at Pittsburgh that caused him to miss the next two games. He returned in time for Week 6's road trip to take on the New England Patriots, becoming the youngest QB ever to win in Gillette Stadium.
There is some merit to the notion of Lock having injury concerns but to categorize him as 'injury-prone' would be jumping the shark. The blister he currently nurses likely has something to do with all the on-field activity he's been involved in at UCHealth Training Center over the past three weeks.
QBs like to lick their fingers for grip. It's a common nervous tick and it's possible Lock's blister could be a result of that. But that's me speculating.
We're talking about a blister, though. So let's be real and dial back the scorn because it's not as if Lock has suffered some new injury that would jeopardize his availability in the near future.
Some of the buzz from the media in attendance since the Broncos reconvened for OTAs has portrayed Lock's early performance as conservative. Like he's playing it safe in an effort to stave off Bridgewater and show the coaches he's not going to turn the ball over at a high rate as he did in 2020.
Fangio doesn't think there's been enough sample size in OTAs to draw any conclusion... of literally any sort. The coach sees no pattern.
“Not really. I think it's too early to come to any conclusions one way or the other—even a small conclusion," Fangio said. "[QBs Coach] Mike [Shula] and [Offensive Coordinator] Pat [Shurmur] are working with him on that stuff. I'm not worried about it at this point.”
Lock will continue to be scrutinized throughout the summer. It's par for the course for an NFL quarterback but only more so due to the vagaries of Lock Derangement Syndrome. The only way to mitigate that level of hyper-focus is to go out on the grass and play at a high enough level that the tongues of the critics and skeptics are silenced.
Time will tell if Lock ultimately has that in him. Meanwhile, it's a blister, gang. Nothing to write home about.
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