On QB decision, the Broncos lacked a big-picture viewpoint

Denver chose Teddy Bridgewater because he gives them the "best chance to win" in 2021, an approach that good organizations avoid

BY JAMES MERILATT

Aug 26, 2021, 6:21 AM

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There’s a narrative making the rounds suggesting that former players thought the Broncos should name Teddy Bridgewater as their starting quarterback, while general “media types” leaned toward Drew Lock. While it isn’t universally true, as guys like Nate Jackson thought the young QB was the smarter choice, it’s a decent generalization.

On Monday, I co-hosted on 104.3 The Fan with Chad Brown. As a member of Team Teddy, he tried to explain why players, including those in the Broncos locker room, would want the veteran.

Brown compared the situation to one he experienced during his playing days. In 2001, he was in Seattle when the Seahawks had a quarterback battle of their own.

In one corner was Trent Dilfer, a veteran who had just helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl by being a game manager and leaning on Baltimore’s generational defense. In the other corner was Matt Hasselbeck, a third-year gunslinger who had just been acquired from the Packers.

Brown said that the players wanted Dilfer. In particular, the defensive guys wanted the veteran, as he was the “safer” option who didn’t make mistakes that put them in a bad position.

Ultimately, Mike Holmgren went with Hasselbeck. As the general manager and head coach, he was able to put the long-term plan ahead of short-term goals. He knew that Dilfer might win more games in 2001, but Hasselbeck would give the Seahawks the best chance to be a contender down the road.

Early on, it didn’t look good. Hasselbeck started the season 1-2 before giving way to Dilfer for two games, both of which Seattle won. Hasselbeck returned to the starting lineup, lost two straight games and eventually finished with a 5-7 record before giving way to Dilfer for two meaningless games down the stretch, both Seahawks wins.

Short-term, Holmgren picked the wrong guy. One QB was 5-7, while the other was 4-0. It added up to a non-playoff season.

The next season, Hasselbeck struggled again in the win-loss column, going 5-5 in another year that ended without a postseason berth. But his numbers improved greatly, as he started to blossom into an NFL-caliber quarterback. Holmgren the GM was relieved of his duties, but Holmgren the head coach had his QB of the future.

In 2003, Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to the playoffs. It’d be the first of five-straight postseason berths, which included a trip to Super Bowl XL after the ’05 season.

The quarterback would also enjoy personal success. In that same stretch, Hasselbeck was selected to three Pro Bowls.

As for Dilfer, he hung around Seattle through the 2004 season, before bouncing around to Cleveland and San Francisco to round out his career. From the time he was competing with Hasselbeck for the starting job until the day he retired, Dilfer posted a 13-18 record.

On Wednesday, the Seahawks announced two new inductees into their Ring of Honor – Hasselbeck and Holmgren. It was fitting, as the two will forever be linked in Seattle.

One was a GM / head coach who was willing to choose winning big down the road over winning small now. The other was a QB who needed a chance to develop into a Super Bowl-caliber player.

Holmgren had the job security and resume to make a bold, visionary decision. Vic Fangio did not. He’s on the hot seat. George Paton did not. His stated goal is to play meaningful games in November and December.

As a result, he chose Bridgewater. He worried about today and picked the Broncos version of Dilfer.

The players, both past and present, will love the decision. But those who think like a GM, those who know it’s more important to build something that can eventually compete for a championship than something that can go 9-8 this season, will lament the move.

Drew Lock could’ve been the Broncos version of Matt Hasselbeck. If only Denver had someone with Mike Holmgren’s viewpoint.