Broncos veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has said it’s not his job to mentor rookie Drew Lock, who will be coached up by the team’s coaching staff. That’s a fair stance from Flacco, who will be learning a new offense himself.
While Flacco’s stance is understandable, veteran tight end Jeff Heuerman will take a different approach with rookie tight end Noah Fant.
“I’m going to come in here every day and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this football team as good as we can be to go win games,” Heuerman said after practice Tuesday. “Noah just got here, so I’m going to teach him everything I can teach him. Anything to help this football team — whether it’s teaching him, running, blocking or doing whatever.”
Heuerman plans to help Fant the same way ex-Denver tight ends Virgil Green and Owen Daniels mentored him when he entered the league in 2015.
“I was fortunate to have a few guys ahead of me to just kind of learn how to be an NFL player on and off the field and how to handle yourself,” Heuerman said. “Virgil, Owen Daniels my rookie year.
“I kind of leaned on him and learned a lot from him, just being on IR (injured reserve) and talking to him. Virgil, I was obviously with him longer so I learned a lot from him on and off the field.”
Heuerman has battled through injuries over the last four years and hasn’t exactly posted big-time stats. He knows what it takes to be a pro, though, and he’s been around the Broncos’ organization longer than Fant.
Heuerman plans to do whatever he can to make sure Fant — and Denver’s offense in general — are successful in 2019.
