General manager John Elway told reporters that Lock (thumb) will head to injured reserve, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Once Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien were released, the initial impression was that Lock was close enough to returning to be kept on the 53-man roster. Elway clarified on Saturday that the Broncos simply needed the roster spots to hold onto other players. Elway said that Lock is about six to eight weeks away, making injured reserve the logical move. Lock figures to be activated once he's ready so that he can practice, but Elway did not guarantee that -- especially given the other valuable players -- like Theo Riddick and Jake Butt -- also heading to injured reserve.

Lock (thumb) may open the season on injured reserve, ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reports.

EDGE Analysis

Dealing with a severe thumb sprain on his throwing hand, Lock will miss the rest of the preseason and isn't expected to be ready for Week 1. He'll be ineligible for the entire season if the Broncos place him on IR before final roster cuts, while he can return for the second half of the campaign if he's kept on the initial 53-man roster. Either way, Kevin Hogan is in line to open the regular season as Joe Flacco's backup.

Lock (thumb) will be sidelined for the start of the regular season, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

EDGE Analysis

It was already reported that Lock had suffered a thumb sprain and was going to miss some time, but now Lock is on track to be out for the start of his rookie season. This isn't too surprising given that it is a thumb sprain on Lock's throwing hand and now, Kevin Hogan is in line to secure the backup quarterback job behind Joe Flacco for the start of the regular season.

Lock said he suffered "just a little sprain" on his right thumb, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lock's position makes the injury a much bigger deal than it would be for other players, but he at least seems to have avoided a long-term issue after X-rays on his right hand came back negative. Missed time in practice and/or the final two weeks of the preseason could help Kevin Hogan secure the No. 2 spot at quarterback -- something that already was being discussed the past few weeks. Lock has produced just 254 yards on 51 pass attempts (5.0 YPA) this preseason, but Hogan (3.5 YPA) somehow has been even worse.

Lock (hand) underwent X-rays on his right hand and they have come back negative, Mike Klis of 9News.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is good news for the rookie quarterback, who exited Monday's contest against the 49ers early in the third quarter. Still, there's a good chance the Broncos opt to give Lock some extra time off to recover with a little under three weeks left until the regular season kicks off. Should Lock miss time, look for Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien to absorb some extra reps.

Lock is questionable to return to Monday's preseason game against the 49ers due to a hand injury, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lock suffered the injury early in the third quarter when he appeared to fall on his left hand while scrambling to avoid pressure. The severity of the rookie second-rounder's injury remains unknown at this time, but the signal-caller reportedly could continue taking snaps into the fourth quarter if he's cleared to return.

Lock completed 17 of 28 passes for 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception during Thursday's 22-14 preseason loss to Seattle. He added 11 yards on three carries. After the game, head coach Vic Fangio said that Lock "threw it pretty damn good," Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lock looked less jittery than his preseason opener and delivered a couple of highlights, including a third-down conversion that was in Troy Fumagalli's hands before he even turned out of his route, and a threaded two-point conversion to Juwann Winfree. The rookie second-rounder still struggled under pressure, particularly on a play in which he drifted into the end zone and was sacked for a safety, but Fangio saw progress. Combined with a brief, unimpressive outing by Kevin Hogan, Lock seems to be moving toward the No. 2 spot.

Lock completed seven of 11 pass attempts for 34 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Broncos' 14-10 preseason win over the Falcons on Thursday. He also rushed once for six yards.

EDGE Analysis

The rookie entered the contest with 13:49 left in the second quarter and misfired on his first three attempts before hitting Nick Williams for his first completion. Lock ended up connecting on six of his subsequent seven passes as well, but he averaged a meager 3.1 yards per attempt. Lock also took two sacks in what was a middling performance overall, but the second-round pick at least got plenty of work in. Given that he's considered a high-upside prospect that nevertheless still needs a fair amount of seasoning, Lock figures to be in for another extended audition against the Seahawks next Thursday in the Broncos' second exhibition.

Lock will back up Kevin Hogan on Thursday in the preseason opener against Atlanta, Zac Stevens of BSN Denver reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lock has reportedly had some of the Broncos quarterbacks' most dazzling highs and head-scratching lows, but is still listed as Denver's No. 3 quarterback. Head coach Vic Fangio has cautioned that, outside the first team, the depth chart is not necessarily indicative of standing, so it is unclear whether Lock has taken a step back in his development or if the coaching staff is simply making him earn the backup job over the veteran Hogan. The picture will become clearer on Thursday as both quarterbacks figure to play against future backups and camp bodies.

Despite comments by head coach Vic Fangio tempering expectations, Lock has clearly been the best passer behind Joe Flacco to start training camp, Benjamin Allbright of KOA News Radio reports.

EDGE Analysis

Allbright and others have expounded that, while Lock has made some bone-headed decisions in practice, he has also made many of the offense's highlight throws and shown improvement along the way. Fangio described Lock as more of a hard thrower than a pitcher at this juncture, but reports from the practice field show that Lock is about where many expected him to be. Whether that is more an indictment on the Broncos' depth chart than anything else -- and whether Lock can step up his play in the coming weeks -- both remain to be seen.