It's taken 12 weeks and a long time on injured reserve, but the Drew Lock era is about to begin in Denver.
Lock has taken first-team reps all week and all signs are pointing to the rookie coming off IR to start for the Broncos against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of the situation.
The news doesn't come as a total surprise, as Denver has been anticipating this moment for weeks. Broncos coach Vic Fangio told reporters earlier this week that Lock would see increased reps as a test to see how well he'd respond. So far, it appears as though Lock responded positively.
Lock's start would bring an end to the brief stretch of starts made by Brandon Allen, who posted a 1-2 record and completed just 46.4 percent of his pass attempts for 515 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 68.3. Allen was never set up to be the future, of course, but his first start -- a 24-19 win over the Cleveland Browns -- surprised many enough to take a closer look at who this guy wearing No. 2 was. The return wasn't notable, though, as Denver has since lost two straight and is headed toward an uneventful close to a lost season.
Lock's involvement could make things a little more exciting, though, and help inform GM John Elway on the current state of the quarterback position in Denver. We'll start to learn more about Lock if things continue toward what is expected to be his first career start.