Elway: 'No one more disappointed' about Broncos' COVID-19 issues than Lock

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway is proud of how starting quarterback Drew Lock handled his COVID-19 protocol infraction last week.

Lock, Blake Bortles, and Brett Rypien didn't wear masks properly during team meetings and were deemed high-risk close contacts to fellow signal-caller Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for the virus. The Broncos were forced to play against the New Orleans Saints last Sunday with undrafted rookie wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback as a result.

"I think that (Lock) has done a nice job in the way that he's answered all the questions, and obviously there's probably no one more disappointed about it than him, as well as all the quarterbacks," Elway said, according to Denverbroncos.com's Ben Swanson. "So they realize that the situation that they didn't handle right, it cost not only them, but it cost … our football team, too. I think that's punishment enough for those guys. They realize that, and hopefully we can put that behind us and come out and play better this week."

The Broncos fined all three signal-callers, and Lock apologized for the situation.

Hinton struggled against the Saints, completing just one pass in a 31-3 loss. Despite the timid performance, Elway praised the first-year player's effort.

"He went in there and competed," Elway said. "… From the practice squad to the starting quarterback had to be probably a bigger jump than anybody's ever made, knowing especially 24 hours before we play. So he did a tremendous job and competed and did the best he could."

The 4-7 Broncos have lost three of their last four games, and bouncing back in Week 13 won't be easy as they face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.

A loss to Kansas City will mark the fourth consecutive campaign at .500 or below for Denver.