Players were due to report to the UCHealth Training Center on the eve of Broncos training camp Wednesday but only 88 of the 90 players on the roster showed up.
One of the absent players, wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, won’t be showing up at all — he has decided to retire from football.
The other player, rookie quarterback Drew Lock, might be on the verge of a training camp holdout. Denver general manager John Elway remains hopeful that the team’s second-round draft pick will be at practice Thursday.
“We’ll see, we’re hoping he’s going to be here,” Elway said during his pre-camp press conference Wednesday. “Nothing surprises me anymore.”
Lock was selected one pick after offensive lineman Dalton Risner in this year’s NFL draft so he’s slated to make less money on his rookie contract. Because his client is a quarterback, though, Lock’s agent is seeking more guaranteed money than Risner received.
Risner’s signing bonus was worth $3,214,388, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Based on the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA, Spotrac.com projects that Lock is in line to receive a $3,106,889 signing bonus. That would be $107,499 less than what Risner received from the team.
Is it really worth threatening a holdout from training camp for just over $100,000? Lock’s agent seems to think so. Tick-tock.
