ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — You may nab the Broncos trying to play a game with no quarterbacks, but they will not be caught going forward without a kicker.
A day after the Broncos lost all 4 of their quarterbacks to COVID (Jeff Driskel) and close contact to COVID (Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, Blake Bortles), the team brought in quarterback Kyle Shurmur and kicker Taylor Russolino to serve on an emergency basis. Shurmur never signed because Lock, Rypien and Bortles all tested negative after a 5-day quarantine.
Russolino was signed to the team’s practice squad and the former XFL kicker is now on high alert after Broncos kicker Brandon McManus announced from his twitter account that he is going on the league’s COVID reserve list because of close contact with someone close to him outside team headquarters.
Reached by 9NEWS, McManus said he checked into a local hotel earlier Monday to begin a 5-day self-isolation. If he continues to test negative through the next five days, he should be cleared to kick in the Broncos’ game Saturday against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Broncos have been through this before and experience tells them to get Russolino ready. Defensive end Shelby Harris was placed on the COVID reserve list as a close contact with his wife and kids, who had all tested positive. Harris self-isolated at a local hotel for 5 days, but on day 5, he tested positive. Harris wound up missing four games before returning two weeks ago to play at Kansas City.
McManus was having his career-best season, as he’s made 22 of 24 field goals including 8 of 10 from at least 50 yards, but he is also coming off his worst game of the season when he hooked two extra points to the left in the Broncos’ 32-27 win Sunday at Carolina.
The 6-foot, 165-pound Russolino was 9 of 10 in field goals with the St. Louis BattleHawks earlier this year with a long of 58 yards. His holder was former Raider and Broncos punter Marquette King.
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