Report: Kyle Shurmur to Sign Broncos Contract After DEN QBs Broke COVID Protocol

Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Kyle Shurmur is headed to the Denver Broncos, as Denver's quarterback room is feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Shurmur, the son of Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, is signing with the team and will join his father once he moves through the league's COVID-19 protocols.

The Broncos played without a quarterback in a 31-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles all on the league's reserve/COVID-19 list.

Practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who played quarterback for three years at Wake Forest, stepped up under center for the team Sunday. He completed one pass for 13 yards and was intercepted twice as Denver's offense produced just 112 yards overall.

Shurmur played collegiately at Vanderbilt, where he threw for 3,130 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 62.6 completion percentage as a senior in 2018 before going undrafted and signing with the Chiefs' practice squad. The defending Super Bowl champions released him in April.

The Commodores' all-time leader in passing (8,865 yards and 64 touchdowns) returned to his alma mater as a volunteer coach this season, working as an offensive quality control coach and working toward a master's degree in finance, according to Adam Sparks of the Nashville Tennessean.

ESPN's Jeff Legwold reported that the Broncos—including Lock, Rypien and Bortles—tested negative for the virus Monday, but the quarterbacks would need to test negative again Tuesday before rejoining the team.

The Broncos are under investigation by the league for breaking protocols, according to Schefter, and head coach Vic Fangio did not rule out the possibility of punishment from the team through suspensions or fines. Denver was already disciplined by the league this year, with the franchise and Fangio fined a total of $350,000 for failure to follow mask protocols.