Denver Broncos backup quarterback Drew Lock is expected to miss some time with a badly sprained thumb that he suffered in the team's last preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. There was some concern that he might need to have surgery on the thumb, so it's good news that isn't the case.

He is expected to miss the rest of the preseason and it's unclear if he will be ready for the start of the regular season. Lock said after the injury he thought it was a minor sprain and he would be fine.

“I got out of the pocket and just ended up landing on that thumb,” Lock said after Monday's game via ESPN. “There are some videos out there, obviously, I am sure. It's just a little sprain. It should be all right … I've jammed my thumb playing basketball 1,000 times. It kind of felt like a jammed thumb.”

If Lock will be ready for the start of the season, it could change what the team will do with the quarterbacks. Lock started training camp as the third-string quarterback behind Kevin Hogan and Joe Flacco. Lock quickly moved up to the number two spot during practice and has been the second quarterback entering the game in the first two preseason games.

Lock's health to start the season could be the difference between Hogan making the team or being cut loose on cutdown day. This should be a story that needs to be followed closely in the next few weeks.