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Broncos to sign QB Blake Bortles after Drew Lock injury

Blake Bortles is expected to be the No. 2 quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Sunday after he agreed to join the team on Tuesday. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
1 of 3 | Blake Bortles is expected to be the No. 2 quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Sunday after he agreed to join the team on Tuesday. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 22 (UPI) -- The Denver Broncos are expected to sign former Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Blake Bortles this week to add depth at the position after a Week 2 injury to starter Drew Lock.

Sources told NFL Network, ESPN and 9 News Denver on Tuesday that Bortles' deal with Denver will be complete after he is tested for the coronavirus and follows quarantine protocols.

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He is expected to join Denver on Friday and could be active for the team's Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Denver. Bortles is expected to sign a one-year contract with the AFC West franchise.

Lock is expected to miss at least two weeks due to a rotator cuff strain.

Jeff Driskel played relieved Lock and completed 18 of 34 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns and one interceptions in a Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Driskel is expected to be the Broncos' Week 3 starter.

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Lock completed 22 of 33 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He completed just 1 of 5 passes before he exited in the first quarter of Sunday's loss in Pittsburgh.

Bortles, 28, hasn't started an NFL game since 2018. He completed 1 of 2 passes for three yards in the Rams' Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. He made three appearances for the Rams last season when he played on a one-year contract.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft spent the first five seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bortles completed 60.3 percent of his throws for 2,718 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games in his final season with Jacksonville in 2018 and was released the next off-season.

The Broncos will host the Buccaneers at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday in Denver.

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Jacksonville Jaguars' James Robinson (30) runs for yardage against the Miami Dolphins in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 31-13. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo

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