With the news that the Denver Broncos are expected to either trade or release veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, the team needed a backup for assumed new franchise quarterback Drew Lock whom they drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
The answer to that problem appears to be former Detroit Lions QB Jeff Driskel who, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, is signing with the Broncos on a two-year deal.
Driskel, a 2016 sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, was thrust into the starting role for the Lions after Matt Stafford suffered a season-ending injury.
The 26-year-old was eventually benched again in favor of David Blough, but in three games as the team's starter, he completed 59 percent of his passes for 685 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while also adding 151 yards and one touchdown on the ground. The former five-star recruit also started five games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback will primarily work as the backup to Lock in his second season and will also join former Boise State star Brett Rypien, who is currently listed as third on the Broncos' depth chart.
As for Lock, the standout prospect from the University of Missouri showed great flashes in his five starts last season. Lock would go 4-1 in those starts and completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
As a team, the Broncos went 7-9, missing the playoffs for the fourth-straight season after winning the Super Bowl in 2016.
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