3 Broncos quarterbacks ineligible for play against Saints due to COVID-19 exposure

Three of the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks are ineligible to play in their game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday after they were exposed to COVID-19 and are currently in quarantine.

The quarantines leave the team without a quarterback for their roster Sunday. 

A source with knowledge of the exposures confirmed that quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Jeff Driskel had been placed on the COVID-19/restricted list and will not be eligible to play this week, USA Today reported.

The news comes after the NFL announced on Friday in a memo that the league will shut down all team facilities Monday and Tuesday to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

An official with the Broncos told USA Today Saturday the team could elevate former Wake Forest quarterback Kendall Hinton, currently a rookie wide receiver. The anonymous official also said the team could choose running back Royce Freeman to quarterback the game. 

Freeman has been a professional for three years and serves as the Broncos’ emergency quarterback this season, but he has never thrown a pass in his NFL career. 

Some Broncos team members took to social media Saturday evening to voice frustrations about the situation.

At this point I don’t think you can deny there is a clear double standard for game postponements.

— Calvin Anderson (@THE_CONDA25) November 29, 2020

Second-year tackle for the Broncos Calvin Anderson alleged that the team was being held to a double standard by the NFL because other teams have had games postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests.

The United States is currently experiencing a massive surge in coronavirus cases. The U.S. recorded over 200,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday alone, according to a New York Times coronavirus tracker, and hospitalizations have reached over 90,000 nationwide — a record high.