We can make the excuse that it’s just the preseason and there’s no reason to overreact, but the quarterback play of the Denver Broncos this preseason has been absolutely terrible and there is no way around that fact.

Joe Flacco is the starter and as long as he stays healthy and performs well, there won’t be a problem.

Drew Lock is the backup and the team hopes that he is also the quarterback of the future, but he will start the season with an injured thumb and an undetermined timetable for returning to the field.

If Flacco goes down, the team will have to turn to Kevin Hogan or Brett Rypien and neither has shown that they should even be on the roster, let alone a backup.

Rypien will likely be waived and then re-signed to the practice squad if he goes unclaimed by other teams. If Rypien is added to the practice squad, the NFL’s 31 other teams would have the chance to snag him at a moment’s notice.

Hogan might be the backup until Lock returns but the Broncos will likely scour the quarterbacks released by other teams and there could be some attractive options, particularly if Lock is going to miss an extended amount of time or even placed on injured reserve.

Many teams in the league opt to keep just two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. That will lead to many quarterbacks being released before the regular season starts, and there could definitely be some better options than Hogan.

1. C.J. Beathard

Beathard is likely going to be on the outside looking in at the quarterback competition with the San Francisco 49ers as Nick Mullens looks like the better option for that team. But if he is released by the team, his name will be connected to the Broncos almost immediately due to his familiarity with offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who used to be the 49ers’ quarterback coach.

2. Cody Kessler

The Philadelphia Eagles currently have five quarterbacks on their roster. Carson Wentz is the starter and when Nate Sudfeld — the team’s regular backup — went down with an injury, the team signed veteran Josh McCown.

Kessler doesn’t have much of a shot to make the team and likely even sits behind rookie Clayton Thorson on the depth chart. But his experience could help another team.

Kessler has played in 17 games and made several starts during his career and in a pinch, he’s a guy a team could turn to.