Rumor Mill: Will Broncos Trade for a QB Before the Deadline?

The lastest on Joe Flacco is that he will be out 5-6 weeks. That means the Denver Broncos will be better off just placing him on injured reserve and washing their hands of Flacco — at least for 2019.

That leaves a massive vacuum in the present, however, as not one of the three QBs on the Broncos roster has ever taken an NFL regular-season snap. Brandon Allen has been tapped as the next man up and undrafted rookie Brett Rypien will likely serve as the backup in Week 9.

Meanwhile, the team is expected to work to get rookie second-rounder Drew Lock back on the practice field and up to speed so that he can play after the bye (at some point). All of this has led some to wonder whether the Broncos will look to make a trade for a QB before the deadline.

The short answer? Highly unlikely.

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

After all, that would be the move of a team trying to win now. At 2-6, even the eternal optimist that is GM John Elway has to admit that this season isn't headed for the playoffs.

So why go add another QB to an already log-jammed depth chart of young players lacking only one thing — experience. And the only way to get them that experience is to play them.

These remaining eight games are extremely valuable in that sense. It will allow the combination of Allen and Lock to go out and play without pressure and expectation.

If these next eight games allow the Broncos to discover that indeed, their long-term franchise QB is on this roster, they will have not been a waste. And that's why trading for a QB at this point would be an utter act of futility.

Update

The trade deadline came and went and the Broncos stood pat. No QBs were acquired, nor even really explored.

Meanwhile, Von Miller, Chris Harris, Jr. and Derek Wolfe will remain Broncos and finish off this one last season as teammates.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.