Get clue. Obviously he's not pissed at Lock. He's not happy that his options have been narrowed. He has only 2 years left on his contract and he wants to "win now" with veterans. He drafted Lock and wants him to succeed. Just not right now.
That was the whole "Joe Flacco is in his prime" plan. Get in a veteran who already proven and won't make rookie mistakes, and win with great defense. That's why he hired Fangio the impressive DC with the Bears -- to install that same kind of great defense here. So far it hasn't worked, but that was the plan.
You all just leap to conclusions. "Obviously" Joe Flacco was washed up. That was clear from the beginning. Nobody but Elway could understand it.
So, after Flacco gets hurt, and Lock comes in and wins 4 out of 5 it's over, right? Whatever "QB competition" there was between Flacco and Lock is over, right?
In your mind, but not in Elway's. They can't really keep Flacco now, but there's no rule that says ELway has to like it.
Obviously, Lock will struggle some next season. DCs are going to game-plan against him. They will have more and more tape on his tendencies and try to take those away. It will place more and more pressure on him, and he might not be great his 2nd year.
Elway wasn't great in year 1 or 2.
It can take a QB a while to really develop into a dependable star and that requires patience. Elway ISN'T PATIENT. He has only 2 years left on his deal.
That's all it is.
The fan base has moved on from the very idea of some veteran QB (Teddy Bridgewater?) coming in and supplanting Lock, but Elway hasn't given up hope yet. He's going to see who's available in FA and what kind of deal he can put together.
I still think it probably won't amount to anything. Elway is just spinning his wheels with this. I don't see Tom Brady or Drew Brees leaving their teams and those would probably be the only QBs I could see Elway taking a leap of faith on with a "win now this year!" strategy.
But, what ordinary fans might think and what John Elway might think are very clearly two different things. He has not given up all hope yet, and that's all that press conference was about.
He was dragging his heels on Drew Lock just like he has all season long.