Category: Broncos Buzz

Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz just triggered a big incentive

Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz just earned an extra $1.5 million after being named a 2024 All-Pro.

It pays to make the Associated Press All-Pro team.

After being named a first-team All-Pro on Friday, Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz has triggered salary escalators for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons, according to multiple reports. Meinerz is now set to earn an extra $500,000 in each of those three seasons.

So his All-Pro nod this year earned him an extra $1.5 million down the road. And if Meinerz earns more All-Pro nods in future seasons, he’ll earn additional incentives.

Meinerz received a league-high 22 first-team votes at guard, plus eight second-team votes. Meinerz was also named a first-alternate for the 2025 Pro Bowl. The 26-year-old lineman is widely considered one of the top guards in the league.

Meinerz was one of five Broncos players who earned All-Pro honors this season. Five other Denver players also received votes: left tackle Garett Bolles (nine votes), fullback Michael Burton (six), safety Brandon Jones (five), long snapper Mitchell Fraboni (four) and wide receiver Courtland Sutton (one).

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1 person didn’t vote for Pat Surtain as a first-team All-Pro

Who is the one person who didn’t vote for Pat Surtain?!? We’d just like to talk…

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain is the clear favorite to win the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award after wrapping up the best regular season of all the league’s defensive players.

So it’s no surprise that Surtain was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press on Friday. But this is a surprise: somebody didn’t vote for PS2, at least not as a first-choice cornerback.

The AP polls a national panel of 50 media members who elect an All-Pro team each season. Of those 50 media members, only 49 voted for Surtain as a first-team All-Pro, according to the AP‘s published voting data.

Whoever did not vote for Surtain as a first-team cornerback did vote for him for the second-team squad, but it’s still shocking that PS2 wasn’t a unanimous selection.

Surtain was one of five Broncos players who earned All-Pro honors this season. Five other Denver players also received votes: left tackle Garett Bolles (nine votes), fullback Michael Burton (six), safety Brandon Jones (five), long snapper Mitchell Fraboni (four) and wide receiver Courtland Sutton (one).

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Von Miller gives his take on Garett Bolles before facing ex-teammate

“He’s one of the best left tackles in the league,” Von Miller said of former teammate Garett Bolles, who he will face on Sunday.

Von Miller and Garett Bolles were teammates with the Denver Broncos from 2017-2021. Although they haven’t played together in four years, Miller said this week that they still talk to each other once or twice every month.

Miller, who now plays for the Buffalo Bills, is set to face Bolles in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday.

“When I’m on the phone with Garett Bolles, it doesn’t feel like he’s on the Denver Broncos, I’m on the Buffalo Bills,” Miller said Wednesday. “It just feels like we’re in a locker room on whatever team it is and we just catching up with each other. It’s all love and respect.”

Given their close friendship, it’s no surprise that Miller was full of praise for his former teammate ahead of Sunday’s game.

“I feel like he’s one of the best left tackles in the league,” Miller said after admitting his bias. “I’ve seen him grow from when he came in to the guy he is now. He’s the longest-tenured Denver Bronco on the team. It’s crazy because when he came, it was probably Year 7 for me when I was there and now he’s the longest-tenured Denver Bronco there.

“So it’s an incredible moment. Garett Bolles is one of the best tackles in the league, he’s playing really really good. He’s going to play really good on Sunday, we just gotta find a way to be able to make plays. He’s played against some of the top pass rushers in the league … he does an excellent job.”

Bolles, 32, has been credited with allowing two sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Miller, 35, totaled six sacks in 2024, including one sack in each of Buffalo’s final two games of the regular season.

Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS. Playing on the road, Denver is considered a big underdog against the Bills.

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5 Broncos players named AP All-Pros following 2024 season

Congrats to Broncos CB Pat Surtain, G Quinn Meinerz, PR Marvin Mims, OLB Nik Bonitto and DL Zach Allen for earning 2024 All-Pro honors!

The best Denver Broncos season since 2015 continues to receive accolades.

A total of five Broncos players have been named to the 2024 Associated Press All-Pro team, including three first-team players.

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain, right guard Quinn Meinerz and punt returner Marvin Mims were named first-team All-Pros following the 2024 campaign.

Additionally, Denver edge defender Nik Bonitto and interior defensive lineman Zach Allen received second-team All-Pro recognition from the AP.

This marks the most All-Pros the Broncos have had in a single season since 1996.

Surtain is the heavy favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award after allowing just 306 passing yards this season.

Meinerz earned a 87.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus this season, third-best among NFL guards.

Mims led the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt return in 2024, becoming the first Bronco to lead the league in that category since Rick Upchurch (16.1 in 1983).

Bonitto ranked third in the NFL with 13.5 sacks this season and he scored a pair of touchdowns, one pick-six and one fumble-six.

Allen totaled 40 quarterback hits and 8.5 sacks in 2024. He also ranked first among IDL with 75 pressures this season, according to PFF.

Surtain, Bonitto and Mims were previously named Pro Bowl starters. Allen and Meinerz are alternates for this year’s Pro Bowl. Surtain and Mims also made the NFLPA All-Pro team following the 2024 season.

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Broncos are a candidate to play in London in 2025

With the Jets “hosting” a game, the Broncos are a candidate to play in London during the 2025 NFL season.

The Denver Broncos are a potential candidate to play as an “away” team in London during the 2025 NFL season.

The NFL announced Friday that the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns will “host” games in England next fall. Those three AFC teams will each give up one of their home games to play abroad in 2025.

Meanwhile, the Broncos are set to play a road game against the Jets next season (here is the team’s full list of 2025 opponents). That puts Denver in contention to be the team New York faces in London this fall.

While the Broncos are one of the possible candidates, they might not be the most likely option. Denver just played in London in 2022 and the team’s designated international market is Mexico.

So if the Broncos play an international game in 2025, Mexico City is the team’s most likely destination. Last year, the NFL announced its full international schedule in May. Denver fans should expect a similar timeline for the 2025 schedule to be announced.

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Broncos vs. Bills: 5 things to watch for in NFL playoffs

The Bills will host the Broncos in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Here are five things to watch for on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos (10-7) are set to face the Buffalo Bills (13-4) in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 12. Here are five quick storylines to watch for going into Sunday’s showdown.

1. Denver’s defense vs. James Cook: The Bills ranked ninth in the NFL this season with 131.2 rushing yards per game. Cooked topped 1,000 yards in 16 games and scored an eye-catching 18 total touchdowns. The Broncos had the third-best run defense in the NFL in 2024, allowing 96.4 yards per game, but Sunday will be a tough matchup.

2. Bo Nix’s first playoff game: Nix had a brilliant rookie season, but he now needs to take the next step and play at a high level on the sport’s big stage. He’s certainly saying all the right things. “[W]e can go further than just the playoffs,” Nix said Wednesday. “I don’t want to be handcuffed by just making it just because we haven’t done it in so long. If we’re going to make it, we might as well go win some games.” You said it, rook.

3. Broncos’ pass rush vs. Josh Allen: Denver’s defense led the NFL with 63 sacks this season (a new franchise record), but they haven’t met an offensive line like Buffalo’s — or a QB like Allen — thus far. The Bills allowed a league-low 14 sacks in 2024. Fortunately, history is on the Broncos’ side:

4. Sean Payton against a bald coach: Payton is 30-12 (.714) against bald head coaches since 2017, which is a good sign going into Sunday’s game against Sean McDermott. OK, meme stats aside, the Payton vs. McDermott showdown is intriguing after the Broncos won 24-22 in Buffalo last season.

5. Von Miller playing against his old team: Miller has made it clear that he still has plenty of love for Denver and the Broncos, but he’ll be looking to win on Sunday. Miller is chasing a third Super Bowl ring with his third team and he’s coming into the postseason hot with a sack in each of Buffalo’s last two games. Nix, meanwhile, was sacked 24 times in 2024, tied for the third-lowest total in the league. This game — like most — will be decided in the trenches.

Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS. Playing on the road, Denver is considered a big underdog against the Bills.

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Pat Surtain is an easy choice for Defensive Player of the Year

“t’s an easy case to make,” Sean Payton said of Pat Surtain’s DPOY candidacy. “He’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain is considered the betting favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, potentially putting him on the verge of NFL history.

Only five cornerbacks have ever won DPOY, and Surtain has a strong case to join them.

“It’s always difficult because there are so many great candidates,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last Friday. “Number One, I was a voter for these awards once. Somebody reached out — I don’t know if you had to be — I don’t know how it worked, but the year I was out [of coaching] and I spent a lot of time… When it’s close, it’s a little shinier for the team that’s winning.

“When you look at the receivers he’s defended and the impact he’s had for us, and how we’ve played defensively and all those other things, it’s an easy case to make. Sometimes it’s a more difficult case to make, but certainly he’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Surtain, 24, ranks first in yards allowed (306) and just about every other major coverage stat among qualified cornerbacks this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

It would be a big upset if Surtain does not win the award this season. DPOY will be announced during “NFL Honors” before the Super Bowl in February.

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Broncos led the NFL in sacks this season, the mark of ‘a top tier defense’

The Broncos led the NFL with 63 sacks this season, setting a new franchise record. That pressure made Denver “a top tier defense” in 2024.

The Denver Broncos‘ defense led the league with 63 sacks during the NFL’s 2024 regular season, setting a new franchise record.

“You said [63]? Man — that explains it all right there,” cornerback Pat Surtain said after the team’s regular season finale. “[Sixty-three] sacks, that’s unheard of. Credit to those guys. They just get it — they get after the quarterback. It makes my job easier. It makes our job in the backend much easier knowing that the guys that you have up front generate pressures, create sacks, create turnovers.

“It just gives us confidence as a defense and as whole. I’ll say without that rush, without that pressure — defensively that’s where it all starts with the guys going to work up front and providing pressure making us be more aggressive and making us be a top tier defense so far in the league. Credit to those guys for creating that mark and I still know they have much left in the tank for this playoff run. I’m glad that they’re on my team.”

Denver’s defense will face a tough test in the first round of the NFL playoffs as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line allowed a league-low 14 sacks in 2024. If the Broncos are going to upset the Bills in the Wild Card round, Vance Joseph’s unit will need to continue bringing the heat up front.

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Von Miller isn’t the only former Bronco who now plays for the Bills

Von Miller is one of four former Broncos who now play for the Bills.

When the Denver Broncos face the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, they will play against Von Miller, who helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

Miller is the most notable ex-Denver player on Buffalo’s roster, but he’s not alone. The Bills also have three other ex-Broncos on their practice squad.

Buffalo safety Kareem Jackson has appeared in two games this season, recording four tackles. He spent 2019-2023 in Denver.

Bills wide receiver KJ Hamler is yet to appear in a regular season game with Buffalo, but he played in 23 games with the Broncos from 2020-2022.

Fellow receiver Jalen Virgil has dressed for seven games with the Bills in 2024, but he is yet to record a reception. He has played 83 snaps on special teams this season, returning one kickoff for 21 yards. Virgil played in Denver from 2022-2023.

Sunday’s game in Buffalo will be nationally televised on CBS.

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Broncos WR Marvin Mims made franchise history in 2024

Marvin Mims (15.7) became the first Broncos player to lead the NFL in punt return average since Rick Upchurch in 1983 this season.

After being elected to the 2025 Pro Bowl in December, Denver Broncos receiver/returner Marvin Mims became just the second player in franchise history to reach the all-star game in each of his first two seasons.

Mims joined Von Miller (2011-2012) in that distinction after leading the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt return in 2024, becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the league in that category since Rick Upchurch in 1983 (16.1).

Mims’ career average of 16.0 yards per punt return ranks first in Broncos history among players with at least 10 returns. His 720 career punt return yards mark the fourth-most through two seasons in franchise history.

Mims has also made huge plays as a receiver and running back on offense this season. The second-year speedster became the first Bronco since Emmanuel Sanders (2015) to score multiple touchdown catches longer than 50 yards in a single season, and he was a threat to make plays like this every week:

Mims ended the year with 39 receptions for 503 yards and six touchdowns while adding 13 carries for 42 yards and three first downs.

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