George Paton acquired a quarterback in his first offseason as Broncos general manager, trading for Teddy Bridgewater in 2021. A year later, Paton is looking to make a much bigger splash at the position. Addressing reporters at the scouting combine Tuesday, the GM said the Broncos are actively exploring all options for an upgrade under center, promising Denver will be “aggressive” in its search to land a new starter for 2022.
“I think it’s always a priority,” Paton said of the Broncos’ QB situation. “It’s the most important position in sports. So we’re always looking. We do have Drew Lock under contract, we have ‘Rip’ (Brett Rypien). But we’re always looking, and we’re gonna (ensure) no stone (is) unturned to find that guy. We know we need better play out of the quarterback position. And so we’re gonna be aggressive.”
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Asked later whether Paton foresees a QB fix coming in the form of a veteran or a rookie, the GM didn’t rule out any move.
“We just want the best guy,” he said. “We don’t care if it’s free agency, we don’t care if it’s the draft, we don’t care if it’s a trade. We’re gonna exhaust all options to try to get the best guy for the Broncos.”
That implies that incumbent starter Teddy Bridgewater, who is scheduled to hit free agency later this month, will not return — at least as the primary option at QB. It also suggests the Broncos will be suitors for any big name potentially available via trade, namely Packers star Aaron Rodgers, who’s been linked to Denver since last offseason and now has connections — including new Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett, his former offensive coordinator — on the team. In the event the Broncos turn to the draft for a new QB, Denver currently holds the ninth overall pick in the first round.
