Guys, I’m going to level with y’all – I’ve been going back and forth all weekend long on this Denver Broncos quarterback issue. On one hand, it’s kinda sad, right? I mean, if you’re a fan of the NFL, you want the best of the best out there on the field each and every Sunday. On the other, it’s kinda like tuning into NASCAR to see the crashes – you just can’t look away. You’re there for the cataclysmic drama. So, I’ve been teetering between, “oh my God, is this actually going to happen?” and “hahahahahahahahahaha” for the last several days. I’m like the Joker.
Anyway, with the entire Broncos quarterback room ruled out of the game due to contact tracing (fuckin’ Jeff Driskel), the team was forced to go with undrafted practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback. That’s right. Not a single Broncos quarterback was eligible to play against the New Orleans Saints. Hinton played quarterback at Wake Forest, and so he had some experience at the position.
But, that intrigue that was once there – just wanting to see the circus – quickly subsided when you saw how bad that truly made the Broncos offense. To say they were limited was putting it nicely. Hinton went 1/9 for 13 yards and two interceptions. Yes, you read that correctly – more interceptions than completions.
This whole thing is made even more absurd when you realize that the Broncos tried to sign a fucking assistant coach to come off the sideline and play quarterback.
…the team wanted their starting QB to be Rob Calabrese, their offensive quality control coach for the past two years, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Denver felt that Calabrese had the strongest command of its offense and he could run the system better than anybody, sources told ESPN. The league denied those requests that were made throughout the day Saturday, saying that the Broncos could not activate a coach to their active roster. The league doesn’t want coaching staffs being storage areas for potential players, sources said.
Yeah, could you imagine the floodgates that would open? I mean, shit – the Titans could just sign Mike Vrabel to come fill in for Jayon Brown. Teams would be signing coaches JUST because there would be a potential that they could play. It’s like an additional practice squad, but much worse. Or, if you’re having roster issues keeping it down to 53, you just sign another “offensive quality control” assistant, and hope no one notices that it’s Peyton Manning.
What a visual – could they just literally suit up off the sideline? Throw on some shoulder pads and a helmet and go? That would be wild – definitely some shit they should try out in the XFL, but I get why the NFL wouldn’t want this kinda stuff going on.
But, as far as pushing the game back to Tuesday? Man, that just seems petty on the NFL’s part. At least in that ESPN article, they didn’t even give the Broncos a reason for that. Just said NOPE and went on about their business. Sorry about your luck. They told the Ravens and Steelers they could take Tuesday, but pretty much told the Broncos to get fucked.
Part of me thinks the Broncos might’ve made this a competitive game if the quarterbacks were healthy. That part of me actually put money on the Broncos +7.5 before all of this unfolded…talk about a bad beat.
Regardless, this was a fun story for a weekend, and I’ve got nothing but respect for Hinton for stepping up in an impossible situation. This is going to be a story that he gets to tell for the rest of his life, and yeah, he can hang his hat on “I completed a pass in the NFL.” That’s fuckin’ cool.
But, you hope this doesn’t become a more common issue as the COVID-19 case count continues to climb. This is a game that’s all about the superstars, and you want the best of the best out there. Tough break for Broncos – now, let’s not see much more of it.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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