Broncos being forced to start rookie practice squad WR at QB

The Broncos have to start practice squad WR Kendall Hinton at QB.

The Denver Broncos will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch entering week 12 action around the NFL.

The Broncos are set to host the New Orleans Saints, but none of Denver’s four quarterbacks are eligible to play in the game, per the NFL.

The NFL determined that the Broncos’ quarterbacks besides backup Jeff Driskel were all high-risk close contacts and are thus ineligible for Sunday’s game.

It seems logical that the league would move the game around as it has for literally every other situation, but they are not going to move the game and the Broncos have to move forward.

On gamedays, Denver’s emergency quarterback is typically running back Royce Freeman. In a situation like this? All bets were off.

The Broncos, luckily, had wide receiver Kendall Hinton on their practice squad. The rookie out of Wake Forest emerged as a legitimate NFL prospect this past year when he moved into the slot receiver role with Jamie Newman throwing passes for the Demon Deacons.

Hinton’s career at Wake Forest began as a quarterback, however, which is why the Broncos are lucky they had something they could break open in case of emergency.

Hinton was a starter for Wake Forest as a true freshman and was once considered a top dual-threat QB prospect coming out of high school. Although he didn’t make the successful full-time transition to quarterback at the college level, the Broncos will take his history under center and try to MacGyver an offense around him.

As fortunate as the Broncos are to have a former QB in Hinton even on the roster, he was not the only option they thought of.

The Broncos legitimately tried to get one of their coaches eligible to play in this game.

The NFL told Denver no, but how incredible would that have been?

Even without a coach on the field playing, the situation for the Broncos here is going to be fascinating to watch.

Denver has a trio of very good running backs and a bunch of receivers who excel after the catch. Who knows what might happen with a dual-threat at the quarterback position out there? It’s not like Kendall Hinton is some hack with no athletic ability. This is a guy who was a state champion QB in high school, recruited to a variety of power-five schools to play for their programs.

He can play, but can the Broncos whip something up for him in short order?

This might be the most fascinating game of the week with all circumstances considered.