Brock Osweiler In Late Night Scuffle Outside Pizza Parlor [Video]
Brock Osweiler, the Denver Broncos free agent quarterback, got involved in a physical altercation outside of a Scottsdale, Arizona, pizza shop at about 2 a.m. Saturday morning, which may or may not be bad timing amidst this week’s professional football free agency.
In the video, the up-and-coming NFL star appears to shove a woman and, in turn, gets violently pushed from behind by a man, who nearly sent him flying into a waiting SUV.
Fortunately, for all concerned, the situation did not intensify from there, as police officials broke things up.
The always resourceful TMZ got its hands on the video of the incident (see embedded footage below) in which 6-foot 7-inch Osweiler avoids fumbling the pizza box after being pushed from behind, although he holds the cardboard container sideways during the commotion, which could be a problem.
With Peyton Manning now officially retired, unrestricted free agent Osweiler, 25, could take over the starting job in Denver on a permanent basis. Osweiler started seven games in place of the injured Manning this season, who subsequently took back the reins for the playoff run which culminated in the team’s upset victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Denver has a three-year, $39 million offer on the table for Brock Osweiler (other reports indicate that the price tag is $45 million), but there is chatter that he might sign a contract with another team, possibly the Houston Texans among other names being mentioned.
The earliest any NFL free agent can sign a new deal is 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
“Osweiler is wise to exercise his right and play the market, just as the Broncos were wise to sign Manning and push Osweiler to the side for four years. But they’re also the only team that has seen Osweiler play any sizable sample of football over that period of time — they’re the only team not blindly valuing the very tall QB from Montana,” Fox Sports explained.
Brock Osweiler may indeed resign with Denver. But that, at this time, is far from a certainty. Other QB-needy teams will make this tough.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2016
TMZ described what happened to Brock Osweiler and his posse outside the pizzeria after the returned from a concert at a nearby hotel.
“During the pizza run, we’re told Brock was heckled by another group — and things got heated. One woman tries to confront Brock’s wife and Brock uses a stiff arm to push her away. Brock then tries to gather his crew to get into a waiting car to leave the situation. But one of the men in the other party didn’t like that Brock made physical contact with his lady — and shoved Brock in the back hard… sending the QB flying toward the waiting car. Instead of turning and fighting the guy, Osweiler — who’s on the verge of signing the biggest contract of his life — held his crew back and ordered everyone into the car.”
The 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Arizona State University, Osweiler finished the 2015 NFL season with 170 completions for about 2000 yards, recording 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the process. He also rushed for one TD. His QB rating was 86.4 in the 2015 campaign.
“During his seven starts for the Broncos, Osweiler went 5-2, with clutch wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots that ultimately secured homefield advantage through the playoffs,” USA Today observed.
Police told TMZ that they have no plans to make any arrests since no criminal complaints have been filed.
VIDEO: Brock Osweiler altercation with hecklers outside pizza shop https://t.co/9JkQqzwIy1 pic.twitter.com/nFfDoXW3DM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 7, 2016
“Had Saturday’s incident escalated, his market value in free agency would’ve almost certainly been affected, if even in a small way. Osweiler not only saved himself from the headache of potential legal proceedings stemming from an arrest, but he also likely saved himself a few million dollars on his next contract,” Bleacher Report contended.
It’s uncertain at this point whether the NFL will see fit to take any disciplinary action against Brock Osweiler as a result of this incident, assuming it is warranted.
[Photo by David Zalubowski/AP)
