Tag: Drew Lock

Dec 4, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) take the field before playing against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Carroll shakes off Seahawks QB controversy: ‘Geno is our starter’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

So, Seattle, Drew or Geno?

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll shot down any suggestion of a quarterback controversy in the afterglow of Drew Lock’s last-minute, game-winning-TD that lifted Seattle to 7-7 to remain in the wildcard hunt on Monday night.

Lock dropped a deep ball on the fingertips of rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to give Seattle a 20-17 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Subbing for injured starter Geno Smith, Lock piloted the Seahawks — starting at their own 8 with 1:52 left in the game — on only their third TD drive of 80 yards or more this season to snap a four-game losing streak.

But Carroll said Smith, out the past two games with a groin injury, is due back Sunday at Tennessee in another critical spot.

“Geno is our starter,” Carroll said of how he’d handle the QB spot against the Titans (5-9).

Carroll said Smith went through a rigorous pregame workout and was ready to start. But Carroll and general manager John Schneider decided to play it safe and start Lock.

“It was hard as can be on Geno (to tell him), ‘We will go with the other player, see if we can make it to next week,’” Carroll said.

Smith has thrown for 2,918 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while going 6-6 in his starts. Lock is 1-1 as the starter, completing 48 of 76 passes for 543 yards with three TDs and three picks.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) take the field before playing against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks agree to re-sign backup QB Drew Lock

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The Seattle Seahawks secured their backup quarterback on Thursday, agreeing to re-sign Drew Lock to a one-year deal.

NFL Media reported that Lock’s new contract will be worth $4 million in 2022, with incentives that could lift it to $7.5 million for next season.

General manager John Schneider later verified the news on his Seattle radio show.

Ten days ago the team reached an agreement with their QB1 from last season, veteran Geno Smith, who is back on a three-year, $75 million deal after his surprising Pro Bowl campaign in 2022.

Lock, 26, was acquired from the Denver Broncos in last offseason’s blockbuster trade involving Seahawks all-time passing leader, Russell Wilson. Lock battled Smith for Seattle’s top QB spot through the summer, but Smith won the job and took every snap at the position.

Lock’s only action with the Seahawks on the field was last summer when he went 24 of 39 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in the preseason.

A second-round pick in 2019 out of Missouri, Lock showed promise by going 4-1 in five rookie starts for Denver, throwing seven touchdown passes while getting intercepted just three times. However, he lost 12 of his 16 starts over the following two seasons as his play was marked by inconsistency. He threw 15 passes picks in 2020, tied with Carson Wentz for most in the league.

In 24 career games, Lock is 8-13 as a starter and has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 4,740 yards with 25 TDs and 20 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Jun 7, 2022; Renton, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) receives a shotgun snap in front of quarterback Drew Lock (2) during minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Lock returns, Seahawks not rushing QB call

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Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks see Russell Wilson in Week 1, but the franchise has not yet decided on the starter who will replace the new quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

Since trading Wilson to Denver for Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and draft picks, the Seahawks have tested veteran Geno Smith and Lock in an ongoing competition to take the reins of the Seattle offense. The Broncos and Seahawks open in Seattle on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 12.

“I’m going to take the time it takes to figure it out and make sure we have all the information that we need,” Carroll said. “I can’t wait to see what happens in this game. Geno’s done a good job and Geno needs a little more help from some guys — they got to be able to catch the football a little better — but he’s handled it well. You go back, Drew has had three drives and had two touchdown drives, so he’s put some stuff on the resume out there.

“So we’ll see what happens this week. And we do have really good weeks of practice coming up. This week is a great one, next week is a great one and the one after is a great one so we’ll use all of that if we need it.”

As of now, there is no clear winner of the duel, which was essentially paused while Lock battled COVID-19 for a week.

“He did OK today. He seemed to bounce back,” Carroll said of Lock returning to practice Sunday. “He’s six, seven days into it now, so he’s in good shape as far as getting back. But you never know until you get out there and start running around. He hung in there, tough, so that’s good.”

Carroll said he might share later in the week his plans for Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

Smith had the opportunity to distance himself from Lock last week but suffered a bone bruise in his knee and exited a lopsided loss to the Chicago Bears.

Carroll said Smith is fine physically and both quarterbacks are available this week.

Wilson was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and played in two Super Bowls with the Seahawks before he was traded to Denver on March 8.

–Field Level Media

Aug 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks QB Drew Lock (COVID) out after preseason starting nod

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, shortly after coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Lock would start the team’s next preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Instead, Lock will miss Thursday’s game and Geno Smith will lead Seattle as the team’s quarterback competition heads into the home stretch.

Lock not only practiced Tuesday afternoon at Seahawks camp in Renton, Wash., but did so primarily with the first-string offense. Those reps were in part to prep Lock to start against the Bears.

“We had planned well back before the offseason even started to get to this game, the second game,” Carroll said after Tuesday’s practice. “Geno would be the starter in (the mock game) at Lumen and the opening (preseason) game, then we would go with Drew in the second game. We’re trying to follow that if we can.”

They won’t be able to follow that plan to completion now. The NFL stopped its COVID-19 protocol in March but still follows CDC guidelines that call for five days in isolation after a positive test.

The Seahawks received Lock as part of a massive package in the trade that sent Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos this offseason. Seattle did not draft a quarterback and stood pat with Geno Smith, last year’s No. 2, and Lock as the main candidates for the starting job.

Lock, Denver’s second-round pick in the 2019 draft, has completed 59.3 percent of his passes and thrown for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his career across 24 games (21 starts).

Despite Carroll’s original plan to give Lock first-team looks this week, he said he still viewed Smith as the No. 1 quarterback if the season began now.

“Geno’s still the No. 1 guy, he’s holding onto his spot at this point,” said Carroll, who also battled COVID-19 earlier in camp. “I really like what Drew has shown us. You look at his passer rating and some of the stuff he did (in the preseason opener), he did a great job. Both of our guys can play. That’s what we do know, they both can play.”

Lock completed 11 of 15 passes for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 32-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Jun 7, 2022; Renton, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and quarterback Drew Lock (2) return to the locker room following minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks QB showdown remains timeshare

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Geno Smith and Drew Lock are engaged in a quarterback competition to replace Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

One week into training camp, the battle in Seattle is too close to call.

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said Smith did receive more reps with the first-team offense and operated red-zone drills on Tuesday, but the decision on the starting quarterback has only one deadline: “Denver.”

The Seahawks open the regular season in primetime against the Broncos, who have no such quarterback questions: Wilson is at the helm for new head coach Nathaniel Hackett in Denver.

“We do have a plan,” Waldron said. “And so we’re just going with our plan here, really evaluating those guys, evaluating everything they’re doing.”

Lock is the new quarterback in the room, acquired in the trade with the Broncos that sent Wilson to Denver. Smith re-signed with the Seahawks and previously served as Wilson’s backup.

“Right now, the way it has worked out, Geno has been a little bit more with the ones than Drew,” Waldron said. “But there is some mixing and matching going on, and we will continue to do that throughout camp and until the time that we make the decision.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) jogs to the locker room following a 23-13 loss against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Report: QB Geno Smith to sign 1-year deal with Seahawks

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Quarterback Geno Smith will sign a one-year contract worth $7 million with the Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network reported on Thursday.

Smith, 31, started three games last season for the Seahawks while Russell Wilson was sidelined with a finger injury. Overall, Smith saw action in four games and passed for 702 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

With Wilson traded to Denver in the offseason, the Seahawks’ quarterback room consists of former Bronco Drew Lock, Jacob Eason and Smith.

Smith, 31, went 1-2 as a starter last season and is 13-21 over his NFL career. He was a second-round draft choice by the New York Jets in 2013 and made 29 starts over his first two seasons.

Overall, Smith has passed for 6,917 yards, 34 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in 45 games with the Jets (2013-16), New York Giants (2017), Los Angeles Chargers (2018) and Seahawks (2019-21).

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) sets to pass in the second half the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos intend to start QB Drew Lock in Week 18

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Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater remains in the concussion protocol and is expected to miss his third straight game in Saturday’s season finale.

Drew Lock is expected to make his third straight start against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.

“Right now, Teddy is still in the concussion protocol, so we don’t really have any new information there,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “So it’ll be Drew going forward.”

Bridgewater was injured in Denver’s Week 15 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lock injured his shoulder in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He missed a series but was able to return to the game. Lock finished 18-of-25 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown in the 34-13 defeat.

“The week will tell,” Fangio said of Lock. “If we have to practice today, obviously he wouldn’t practice. But we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to improve as the week goes and end up being the quarterback.”

Fangio said starting left guard Dalton Risner will also miss Saturday’s game with an elbow injury.

However, the team expects to get back most — if not all — of the 13 players who missed Sunday’s game on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Broncos (7-9) were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Jul 28, 2021; Englewood, CO, United States; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (left) talks with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (right) during training camp at UCHealth Training Complex.

Teddy Bridgewater out; Drew Lock to start for Broncos vs. Raiders

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Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been ruled out with a concussion and Drew Lock will start this Sunday’s divisional game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Bridgewater spent last Sunday night in a hospital after sustaining a head injury in the third quarter of Denver’s 15-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

He left the field on a stretcher and remains in the concussion protocol, Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday.

The Broncos and Raiders both enter the Week 16 AFC West showdown with 7-7 records, a game behind the teams currently leading the AFC wild card chase.

Bridgewater completed 12 of 22 passes for 98 yards before the injury. Lock replaced him and went 6 of 12 for 88 yards and a score as the Broncos lost.

Bridgewater, 29, has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 14 starts this season.

Lock, 25, who started 18 games in his first two seasons, has completed 22 of 40 passes for 227 yards with one score and one pick in three appearances off the bench in 2021.

This will be Lock’s first start in nearly a year. He completed 25 of 41 passes on Jan. 3, 2021 as the Broncos lost their season finale to the Raiders 32-31.

–Field Level Media

Jun 1, 2021; Englewood, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) and quarterback Drew Lock (3) during organized team activities at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Teddy Bridgewater named starting QB for Broncos

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Teddy Bridgewater won the quarterback competition in Denver and will start Week 1 for the Broncos on Sept. 12.

“Coach (Vic) Fangio informed our team this morning that Teddy Bridgewater will be the Broncos’ starting quarterback,” read a brief message posted Wednesday to the team’s official Twitter account.

Drew Lock started for the Broncos last season but faced competition in the offseason and throughout the preseason from the well-traveled Bridgewater.

The news for Bridgewater comes five days before the fifth anniversary of a devastating preseason injury to his left knee that forced him to miss all of the 2016 and all but one game of the 2017 seasons. He led the Minnesota Vikings to an 11-5 record in 2015 and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Fangio took a few days to make the decision following the Broncos’ 30-3 preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. In that game, Bridgewater completed 9 of 11 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, while Lock went 9 of 14 for 80 yards.

Bridgewater, 28, passed for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games for the Carolina Panthers last season. He has started 49 games in his NFL career for the Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Panthers.

Denver acquired Bridgewater in an offseason trade with the Panthers in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick.

Lock, 24, has thrown for 3,953 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions with a 59.1 percent completion rate in 18 starts over two seasons. He missed time in 2020 due to both a shoulder injury and COVID-19 protocols, and the Broncos only won four of his 13 starts.

The Broncos open the 2021 season on the road against the New York Giants on Sept. 12.

–Field Level Media

Jun 1, 2021; Englewood, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) and quarterback Drew Lock (3) during organized team activities at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos’ Vic Fangio still mulling team’s starting QB

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Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio isn’t ready to declare the identity of his starting quarterback due in large part to what he’s seen from both Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater.

Fangio was asked on Saturday if he’s closer to making a decision.

“I am. Because the calendar’s closing in on us,” Fangio said after the Broncos’ 30-3 preseason win over the host Seattle Seahawks.

As for when that decision will become public?

“The earliest it would be would be early next week, or we’ll let it go another week. Because these guys, both of them, Drew and Teddy, have done well, as you guys have seen, and they’ve made it a hard decision. So we’ll give it thorough thought. We’ve been discussing it with the coaches, with George (Paton, general manager) all along, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Bridgewater completed 9 of 11 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, while Lock went 9 of 14 for 80 yards.

Bridgewater, 28, passed for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games for the Carolina Panthers last season. He has started 49 games in his NFL career for three different teams.

Denver acquired Bridgewater in an offseason trade with the Panthers in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick.

Lock, 24, has thrown for 3,953 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions with a 59.1 percent completion rate in 18 starts over two seasons. He missed time in 2020 due to both a shoulder injury and COVID-19 protocols, and the Broncos only won four of his 13 starts.

–Field Level Media