The Denver Broncos’ quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater is set to heat up when training camp begins Wednesday.
The QB battle will be the hot topic at camp this summer, but players and coaches have downplayed it a little, suggesting there’s competition everywhere on the roster.
“For the first part, the quarterback battle, that’s nothing except for healthy competition,” safety Justin Simmons said on May 25. “At least in my opinion, what drives each of us is just that competitive nature. When your back is against the wall and you have to prove yourself, that is what makes or breaks a lot of people. It’s just being able to prove yourself in tough situations or in competitive moments.
“Every year, you have to come in and compete for your job. It’s not necessarily handed to you off what you’ve done in years prior. I think that’s going to be healthy and great. I’m excited as a defensive guy because I know I’m going to get their best in practice. It’s going to do nothing but elevate our game from a defensive standpoint and vice versa.”
Lock is the incumbent, young, gunslinger. Bridgewater is the newcomer, a veteran, calculated quarterback.
The competition at QB will only help raise the level of competitiveness overall at camp.
“I think it gets the best out of everyone,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said on June 16. “It’s like any position group that competes — running backs, receivers. You always compete on offense. In practice, we compete against the defense. It’s the competitive nature of the game. When guys are competing and they are on their toes and they feel the urgency to perform at a high level, then they perform at a high level more frequently.
“That’s what you’re looking for. That’s how it benefits things. The reason we all play this game, the reason we coach this game and the reason we’re involved in this game is we understand and we embrace the competitive nature of this game. We’re just zeroing in one position.”
The quarterback competition will likely drag into August, with both QBs getting an equal chance to win the job in preseason.
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