Report: Drew Lock has Returned to Denver From Missouri Exile
After at least two months of being holed up in his parents house in Kansas City, rumor has it that Drew Lock has returned to the Mile High City. The Denver Broncos' second-year starting quarterback has been sequestered in his home state during the coronavirus lockdown.
Being quarantined has prevented Lock from being able to organize the offseason throwing sessions with Broncos' receiving targets like Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, and DaeSean Hamilton, as well as the pass-catchers procured via the 2020 draft like first-rounder Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, and Lock's college teammate Albert Okwuegbunam.
While the Broncos are beginning the process of returning to their facilities at UC Health Training Center this week, the players and coaches won't be able to return until June at the soonest. Brittany Bowlen is heading up a task force of sorts to make safe the Broncos' facilities this week, which will be followed by GM John Elway and the team's football executives and personnel department returning next week.
Until all NFL teams can allow players and coaches to return to facilities, no players and coaches will be allowed on-premises. After all, while the state of Colorado has made it legal for the Broncos to return to work, in states racked by the coronavirus, like New York, teams are still precluded, like all 'non-essential' businesses, from getting back to work.
So, until all NFL teams get the greenlight to return to their respective facilities, for 'competitive balance' reasons, no teams will be allowed to send coaches and players back. What does that mean for Lock and company?
If Lock is indeed back in Denver, there's nothing to preclude him from gathering any and all receivers for a throwing session out of doors somewhere, so long as the team okays it. The team wouldn't necessarily have to mandate a throwing session but Lock is smart enough to seek out prior approval before organizing something willy-nilly.
Lock's return is a hopeful harbinger that things are beginning to return to at least a modicum of normalcy. NFL teams are allowing executives and employees to open up facilities starting on Tuesday of this week (although, again, that doesn't include coaches and players) and the Broncos have stuck to their plan of kicking off training camp on July 28 or 29.
The Broncos might have to get by with Phase 1, 2 and 3 of OTAs being virtual. But in the meantime, perhaps Lock can get something cooking unofficially.
Don't be surprised to see your favorite Broncos in street clothes running routes as you drive by your favorite park in the greater Denver area.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
