Broncos' QBs Weren't 'Forthcoming' During Contact Tracing Interviews, per Report

Why did the NFL let the Broncos practice on Thursday after Jeff Driskel tested positive for the virus? A new report might shed some light on the subject.

The Denver Broncos were allowed to practice on Thursday by the NFL after quarterback Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19. Two days later, every remaining quarterback on the roster was pulled from participating in practice and sent home as 'high risk' for the virus. 

Shortly thereafter, the NFL notified the Broncos that Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, and Blake Bortles would be ineligible to play in Sunday's game vs. the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos-Saints Week 12 matchup is still on for now. 

Practice-squad wideout Kendall Hinton will start at quarterback for Denver. How did the Broncos find themselves in literally the worst imaginable situation? 

A new report might shed some light on the subject. The Athletic's Lindsay Jones reported on Saturday evening that when the contact-tracing interviews were undertaken, Lock, Rypien, and Bortles weren't exactly open books and it was later discovered that the trio had broken protocols by not mask up when and where they should and did not wear their tracking devices 'consistently.' 

Lock, Rypien and Bortles were deemed close contacts to quarterback Jeff Driskel, who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week. All three are asymptomatic and have consistently tested negative, according to the team. 

An NFL source told The Athletic's Lindsay Jones that the quarterbacks were not forthcoming during contact-tracing interviews about exposure, spent extensive time together without masks and didn't consistently wear their tracking devices. 

Coach Vic Fangio said Thursday that the other quarterbacks had not spent much time near Driskel, saying, "They thoroughly checked those guys ... and they came back and said nobody else needs to go on the list."

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If this trio of QBs didn't perfectly honor the NFL's COVID-19 protocols for person-to-person contact within the Broncos facilities, it might help explain why the league is strong-arming the team into still playing on Sunday, even without a single signal-caller available. I'm groping for answers here but if the NFL perceived that these QBs were being deceptive, perhaps the league is trying to make an example of the Broncos. 

The Broncos bent over backward to accommodate the league when it asked to postpone, then reschedule their Week 5 bout with the New England Patriots. Denver played ball, even though it cost the team its true bye and reshaped its remaining schedule. I would expect some sort of leniency as a result of the Broncos' obedience but it would appear the NFL front office is instead intent on sending a message. 

Whatever the case might be, this is not the type of public relations battle the Broncos want to fight amid a pandemic. The team released the following statement Saturday evening. 

"Shortly before Saturday's practice, we were notified by the NFL that new contact tracing information required quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles to be identified as high-risk COVID-19 close contacts. 

"The three quarterbacks, who are not experiencing any symptoms, immediately left the practice field and departed UCHealth Training Center. All three have consistently tested negative for COVID-19 via both daily PCR testing and additional POC testing administered as a precaution. 

"With NFL/NFLPA protocols mandating a five-day quarantine period for high-risk close contacts, we were informed by the league that Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be ineligible to participate in Sunday's game against New Orleans. We will continue to work closely with the NFL whenever there is a positive COVID-19 case, including sharing all available information in a thorough and timely manner to ensure the safety of our team." 

If the NFL forces the Broncos to play the Saints on Sunday, and Hinton starts, the league will indeed have extracted its pound of flesh from Denver. Even if Lock, Rypien, and Bortles were less-than-forthcoming about their close contact with Driskel, it's a mighty high price to pay for a Broncos team that was patient, long-suffering, and meek in the wake of the NFL's momentous shake-up of the schedule earlier this year when a similar crisis occurred in New England. 

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right? Cam Newton's reported behavior subsequent to him contracting COVID-19, which ultimately led to Broncos-Patriots getting rescheduled, didn't lead to the NFL forcing New England to play without him. There's no way on God's green earth that Roger Goodell would force Bill Belichick to play a game without a quarterback, if the shoe was on the other foot. 

Well, it might not be a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, but that shoe was on the other foot earlier this season and the Broncos walked in them willingly and obediently, through no fault of their own and at great cost. Even if Lock, Rypien, and Bortles violated protocol in some way, the onus is on the NFL to prove that a double-standard doesn't exist in how it approaches COVID-19 situations with teams. 

Broncos-Saints needs to be rescheduled. 

For now, the optics suggest that the NFL will reschedule games in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak for 'playoff-caliber' teams. The Broncos haven't made the playoffs since 2015 and sit at 4-6 so I guess that's reason enough to make an example out of them and an embarrassment of the league. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.