Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock Under Extra Pressure After Von Miller Injury

The Denver Broncos suffered a huge blow to their hopes of returning to the postseason when star pass rusher Von Miller went down with an injury on the final player of Tuesday’s practice.

Miller, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, suffered a dislocated peroneal tendon and faces a likely recovery time of five to six months.

It is a devastating injury for Miller and the Broncos. The three-time first-team All-Pro was looking to bounce back from a 2019 season in which he posted eight sacks – the second lowest total of his stellar career.

His absence, combined with uncertainty over what extent Bradley Chubb can be involved in Week 1 after tearing his ACL last season, means the Broncos will have to play much of their opener with the Tennessee Titans without their top two pass rushers. Chubb had 12 sacks as a rookie after being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft.

The combination of Miller and Chubb, who could be on a snap count against the Titans, was poised to be crucial to the success of a Vic Fangio defense that needs to perform well if the Broncos are to have even the slimmest of chances of challenging Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

Miller’s injury is likely to pile more pressure on the shoulders of Drew Lock and an offense for which many have high expectations.

Lock went 4-1 in his five games as a starter in 2019, with Courtland Suttton posting his first 1,000-yard receiving season and Noah Fant emerging down the stretch.

Denver bolstered Lock’s supporting cast in the offseason, adding Melvin Gordon to their backfield while drafting receivers Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler along with another athletic tight end in Albert Okwuegbunam.

The weapons Lock now has around him have only served to further hype about what he could produce for the Broncos in 2020.

However, five games is too small of a sample size to judge a quarterback who came into the league known as much for his erratic decision-making as his hugely impressive arm strength.

With Miller on the sideline, there is no guarantee the defense will be able to provide the support to the offense that had perhaps been anticipated. The knock-on effect will be increased onus on Lock to show composure beyond his years and cut out the poor decisions to keep Denver in the hunt for what will likely be a wild card spot behind a Chiefs team widely expected to win the division.

Lock has not played enough games to prove he can put this Broncos team on his back. However, following the loss of arguably Denver’s most important defensive player, it is even more critical that the 2019 second-round pick rises to the challenge and helps an extremely promising offense realize its potential.