Broncos OC Justin Outten shares first remarks on Drew Lock

“I want to see how he fits in the system a little bit more once he gets the playbook under him, and then we’ll go from there,” Broncos OC Justin Outten said of QB Drew Lock.

As the NFL world continues to wait for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision on his future, the Denver Broncos have to be prepared for the very real possibility that Rodgers might stay in Green Bay or retire (opposed to asking for a trade).

If Rodgers does not become available via trade, the Broncos will have to consider other quarterback options in 2022. Given that Denver passed on the QBs in last year’s draft, it’s hard to imagine general manager George Paton going all in on drafting a QB in what appears to be a weaker class this year.

So, the most likely non-Rodgers options are probably veteran bridge QBs, similar to Teddy Bridgewater last year (Bridgewater is now a free agent). If the Broncos do bring in a short-term veteran, Drew Lock would presumably get a chance to compete for the starting job again this offseason.

“He’s got a powerful arm,” new offensive coordinator Justin Outten said of Lock during his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “He’s done a really good job as far as using his legs and being an athlete.

“As far as [evaluation], I want to see how he fits in the system a little bit more once he gets the playbook under him, and then we’ll go from there.”

Lock has one year remaining on his contract and Denver has no reason to cut him, so unless the 25-year-old QB is involved in a trade to acquire another QB, Lock seems likely to have at least one more season with the Broncos.

Whether Lock serves as a backup or wins the starting job remains to be seen, but Outten’s initial comments seem to suggest Lock will get a chance to impress.

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Broncos will introduce new coordinators today

The Broncos will hold a press conference for Ejiro Evero, Justin Outten and Dwayne Stukes at 12 MT.

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett will hold a press conference to introduce his new coordinators today.

Hackett has hired Ejiro Evero (defensive coordinator), Justin Outten (offensive coordinator) and Dwayne Stukes (special teams coordinator) as his top assistant coaches (we’re tracking all the coach hires here).

Tuesday’s press conference will begin at 12 p.m. MT and will be available to stream on Denver’s Twitter page and on the team’s official website.

There’s also another media appearance on Tuesday that Broncos fans will likely be interested in. After posting a cryptic “thank you” message on his Instagram page last night, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to appear on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday.

Many fans and pundits think Rodgers’ post means he’s about to retire or leave the team. Others believe he’s going to remain in Green Bay.

Whatever Rodgers’ decision is, he might announce it on McAfee’s show today, which begins at 10:00 a.m. MT on SIRIUS XM Channel 82.

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Broncos have officially hired 10 assistant coaches so far

More hires are on the way.

After hiring Justin Outten (offensive coordinator), Butch Barry (offensive line coach) and Klint Kubiak (passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach) earlier this month, Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett made seven more hires official on Monday.

Denver announced the official additions of Dom Capers (senior defensive assistant), Ramon Chinyoung (offensive quality control), Peter Hansen (linebackers), Mike Mallory (assistant special teams), Jake Moreland (tight ends), Ben Steele (assistant offensive line) and Bert Watts (outside linebackers), bringing the total to 10 new coaches so far.

More hires are on the way.

Most notably, Los Angeles Rams secondary coach/pass game coordinator Ejiro Evero is expected to become the team’s new defensive coordinator. The Rams just won the Super Bowl on Sunday, so that move not becoming official on Monday is not surprising.

The Broncos are also expected to hire Rams assistant special teams coach Dwayne Stukes as their new offensive coordinator. Other additions that are not yet official include Tyrone Wheatley (running backs coach) and Marcus Dixon (defensive line coach).

We are tracking all of Denver’s coaching changes on this page.

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Packers lose TE coach Justin Outten to Nathaniel Hackett, Broncos

Packers TE coach Justin Outten is leaving to become the new offensive coordinator for Nathaniel Hackett and the Broncos.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur has another spot to fill on his offensive coaching staff. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Nathaniel Hackett and the Denver Broncos are hiring tight ends coach Justin Outten to be the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Outten joined the Packers in 2019 on LaFleur’s first coaching staff. He’s been the tight ends coach for the last three seasons.

In Denver, Outten will get a promotion on Hackett’s first coaching staff. The former Packers offensive coordinator left Green Bay to become the Broncos new head coach earlier this month, and he’s bringing assistants with him to help install a new offense and create a new culture in Denver.

With the Packers, Outten helped get the most out of veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis while also developing young players such as Robert Tonyan, who caught 11 touchdown passes in 2020, and Josiah Deguara, a third-round pick in 2020.

Before arriving in Green Bay, Outten spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, primarily working with the offensive line.

The Packers promoted four coaches to fill vacancies on the offensive coaching staff on Tuesday. The team must still hire a quarterbacks coach, and now tight ends coach can be added to the pile.

Outten is the second Packers assistant to leave for an offensive coordinator job this offseason, joining Luke Getsy, who is now the playcaller for the Chicago Bears.

The Packers don’t have an obvious replacement for Outten on staff, although quality control assistant Tim Zetts and coaching assistant Ruvell Martin could be candidates.

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