Broncos QBs fined for violating COVID-19 safety protocols

The Denver Broncos fined their quarterbacks for not wearing masks during a team meeting, which led to three of them being ruled ineligible to play against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post.

Drew Lock, Blake Bortles, and Brett Rypien missed last week's game versus New Orleans after they were deemed high-risk close contacts to fellow signal-caller Jeff Driskel. Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday.

As a result, practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton - who played quarterback at Wake Forest - lined up under center for a majority of Denver's Week 12 contest. Hinton completed 1 of 9 passes for 13 yards and threw two interceptions in the 31-3 loss.

In an effort to avoid a similar situation, the Broncos are keeping Bortles away from practice.

"We're going to limit his exposure here," Fangio said, according to the Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran.

Lock is taking first-team reps ahead of Denver's Sunday Night Football showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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