DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Broncos have finally announced who will be the team’s starting quarterback for the regular season – Teddy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater, who the Broncos traded for in the offseason, has been competing against Drew Lock, who was drafted by the Broncos in 2019.

Lock has played a total of 18 games in the NFL; five in 2019 and 13 last season. During that time he had a completion percentage of 59.1. He threw 16 touchdowns last season and had an ESPN QBR of 48.8.

Bridgewater, meanwhile, has played six seasons for three different teams; the Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints, and most recently the Carolina Panthers. His average completion rate over that time is about 66%, and his high water mark came last year when he threw 15 touchdowns and had a QBR of 64.1 according to ESPN.

Each quarterback started one of the team’s preseason games. Lock threw two touchdowns when starting the first preseason game and Bridgewater threw one. In the second game, in which the roles were flip flopped, Bridgewater matched that with his own pair of TD passes.

It’s unclear what the announcement of Bridgewater as the Week 1 starter means for the team’s upcoming third preseason game. Brett Rypien, who signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2019 has also seen action in both games.

FOX31 talked to former quarterback Jake Plummer, who was part of a similar quarterback battle for the Broncos in 2006, before the decision was made. Plummer said he felt locker room presence was going to be a big part of the decision.

“The determining factor for me would be how do the players respond to each quarterback,” Plummer said. “Who gets the response from the guys? Who is the leader here? Who gets these guys to believe?”

While it seems like the decision was made by Fangio, it’s worth noting that general manager George Paton has some familiarity with Bridgewater. Paton was the assistant GM in Minnesota when Bridgewater was drafted in the first round in 2014.

The Broncos open their season on Sept. 12 at MetLife standing against the New York Giants. You can watch the game at 2:25 p.m. on FOX31.