Tag: Garett Bolles

Garett Bolles’ contract extension is a good deal for the Broncos

Garett Bolles’ extension with the Broncos is a team-friendly deal that becomes easy to exit in 2026.

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles broke the news about his contract extension on Dec. 12. The deal was initially reported as a four-year, $82 million extension that could reach up to $86 million with incentives, worth an average of $20.5 million per season.

“The way he’s played — he’s available,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on Dec. 13. “He’s someone who’s in incredible shape. I didn’t realize he was [32]. George [Paton] and I were talking — I just never paid attention to that. He does a great job at taking care of his body and then besides that — the most important thing — is he’s one of the premier pass blockers in our league.

“He stays in front of his guy. Regardless of — there are times where we have to help elsewhere and that’s hard to find. So he’s excited about it [and] we are as well. It’s much deserved and you guys know how important I feel like that position group is when you’re budling a team.”

Instead of testing the open market in 2025, Bolles took a team-friendly extension with hopes of finishing his career in Denver. Now that the details of the contract are known, it’s an even better deal for the Broncos than initially known.

Bolles has $23,735,000 fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap.com, with all of his guaranteed salary coming in 2024 and 2025. His signing bonus will be prorated as $800,000 salary cap hits in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028.

The Broncos have team options in each of the next four seasons and Bolles can earn $765,000 through per-game roster bonuses each season. After the 2025 season, none of his salary is guaranteed for the rest of his contract.

So, in theory, Denver could move on from a 34-year-old Bolles in 2026 by taking on a $2.4 million “dead money” cap hit with a net savings of more than $6.8 million. The team would save $27 million if he’s let go in 2027 and $26.88 million in 2028.

It’s essentially a two-year extension for Bolles and it’s easy for the Broncos to get out of it starting in 2026. Here are his cap hits for the next five season, according to OTC:

2025: $5,816,000 ($12.36M lost if cut)
2026: $9,248,000 ($6.84M saved if cut)
2027: $28,683,000 ($27M saved if cut)
2028: $27,683,000 ($$26.88M saved if cut)
2029: $9,770,000 (void year)

Bolles also has void years from 2030-2033, but those should not impact the team’s cap space. If Bolles stays healthy and continues playing at a high level, he’ll be paid well in his final years in Denver. If the veteran tackle declines, the Broncos can move on without much cap trouble. It’s a good situation for Denver.

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Closing in on first-ever playoff berth ‘means the world’ to Garett Bolles

Garett Bolles, the longest-tenured Bronco (eight years), could secure a playoff berth for the first time in his career on Thursday.

Now in his eighth season with the Denver Broncos, left tackle Garett Bolles is the team’s longest-tenured player. When the Broncos defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and improved to 9-5 on Sunday, it clinched the first winning season of Bolles’ career.

Now, with a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers on deck, Bolles is just one win away from clinching the first playoff berth of his career.

“It means the world to me, you know, I haven’t done it since I’ve been back here so to get back to where we belong and to bring our amazing fans the opportunity to cheer for us deep in the playoffs, it’s awesome, it’s an awesome feeling,” Bolles said after Sunday’s win.

“We just got to focus on one game at a time. We got a big game coming up this week. We didn’t play great today, but we did enough to win. Sometimes the ball bounces our way and that’s what happened today. When we’re deep down in this stretch, when we’re playing good teams, we got to make sure we control the ball and do the things we need to do, but I’m proud of how we fought today.”

Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton, in his seventh season, is also seeking his first postseason appearance.

“It’s a great opportunity that is ahead of us,” Sutton said. “(We) haven’t been able to sniff it (playoffs) and to be in a position to know that we if we finish strong, we can improve our seeding in the playoffs is an amazing feeling. We have a nice little stretch coming up, some really good games coming up.

“We have to take care of business; keeping everybody focused and locked in. Yes, that was a big game. It gave us a better chance (to make the playoffs and improve seeding), but these games ahead of us give us an even better chance of better seeding and putting ourselves in a better situation moving forward.”

Thursday’s game will be available to stream on Prime. The Broncos are one win away from clinching a spot in the 2024 NFL playoffs.

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Garett Bolles took team-friendly deal to finish career with Broncos

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles could have earned more had he tested free agency in 2025. “I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” he said.

The Denver Broncos gave left tackle Garett Bolles a four-year, $82 million contract extension on Thursday that will average $20.5 million per year from 2025-2028, making him the sixth-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL.

The deal includes $41.9 million guaranteed, including fully guaranteed pay in 2025 and 2026.

“This is a dream come true,” Bolles said during a press conference on Thursday. “I grew up in this city. I became a man in this city as a football player and as a husband. I get to be here long-term with my family. It means the world to me. I’m just so grateful for the Walton Penner family. What an amazing ownership group we have. Everyone in the ownership group and the love that they have here. The time I got to spend with them and to see them changing this place with new facilities and everything that I get to be a part of now is amazing.

“I love George Paton to death. I think we have one of the best GMs in all of the National Football League. The relationship I have with him and the love I have for him and his family and how grateful I am. I’m grateful for Coach [Sean] Payton and the love I have for him. He came in here — he could’ve let me walk — and he believed in me. This offense fits me and I’m just grateful I get to be a part of [it] and see him turn this around. [Offensive line] Coach [Zach] Strief, I’m so grateful for an offensive line coach that just lets me be myself. It’s a humbling time to be in my family, a place where I’d always thought I’d be. It wasn’t easy. I didn’t start off the way I wanted to start off here, but I get to finish how I want to finish. I get to be a Bronco for life and I’m just very grateful.”

Had he waited until the spring, Bolles undoubtedly could have received more on the open market, but he wanted to stay in Denver, where he hopes to finish his career.

“I just am beyond grateful that my kids get to grow up here, and continue to grow up here and we’re in Denver,” Bolles said. “This is home for us. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I could’ve hit free agency and earned more money or whatever it is. I never cared about money; I cared about a legacy. I think legacy speaks volumes for the type of man [you are], and I wanted to create a legacy here.

The 32-year-old left tackle has allowed just one sack this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 88.7 pass-bocking grade this year ranks fourth in the NFL. After re-signing the tackle, the Broncos have now shored up Bo Nix’s blindside for the foreseeable future.

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Twitter reacts to Garett Bolles’ $82 million deal with Broncos

The Broncos gave Garett Bolles a four-year, $82 million contract extension on Thursday. Here’s how Twitter/X reacted to the news.

The Denver Broncos signed left tackle Garett Bolles to a four-year, $82 million contract extension on Thursday. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X.

Bolles, 32, is now under contract through the 2028 season.

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Garett Bolles breaks news of his 4-year contract extension with great video

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles announced his four-year contract extension with a funny video.

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has agreed to a four-year contract extension, the offensive lineman announced with a clever video on his social media pages on Thursday.

“Broncos Country, It’s been a great 8 years! Thanks for everything! And … I’m not leaving. The show goes on! GB,” Bolles wrote on social media.

Bolles shared a video with a photo of his face over Leonardo DiCaprio from a classic scene in The Wolf of Wall Street: “I’m not leaving,” DiCaprio says. “I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving! The show goes on!”

After Bolles broke the news, outlets quickly started confirming that the 32-year-old lineman has signed a four-year deal that will keep him in Denver through the 2028 season.

Bolles was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Utah. He struggled early in his career but Bolles has emerged as a top left tackle in recent seasons.

After previously giving contract extensions to cornerback Pat Surtain, guard Quinn Meinerz and pass rusher Jonathon Cooper earlier this year, Denver now has a quartet of key players signed through the duration of quarterback Bo Nix’s rookie contract. The next order of business could be an extension for pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who ranks second in the NFL in sacks this fall.

The four-year deal is worth $82 million and could reach up to $86 million with incentives, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal includes $42 million guaranteed.

Nix’s blindside now has protection secured for the next four seasons.

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Broncos have 21 players scheduled to become free agents in 2025

The Broncos’ list of players scheduled to become free agents in 2025 includes Garett Bolles, Javonte Williams and the both backup QBs.

The Denver Broncos have already given a four-year contract extension to outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper. Now attention turns toward the team’s 21 other players scheduled to become free agents in 2025.

The Broncos have 14 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in the spring, according to OverTheCap.com. Perhaps most notable among the team’s UFAs is left tackle Garett Bolles. The list of UFAs also includes running back Javonte Williams, defensive lineman D.J. Jones, linebacker Cody Barton and both backup quarterbacks: Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.

Denver also has a pair of restricted free agents in offensive lineman Quinn Bailey and long snapper Mitchell Fraboni, plus five exclusive rights free agents, including cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. Here’s a quick list of the team’s 21 pending free agents, with the RFAs and ERFAs noted.

Broncos 2025 free agents

  1. OT Garett Bolles
  2. DL D.J. Jones
  3. QB Zach Wilson
  4. QB Jarrett Stidham
  5. LB Cody Barton
  6. CB Tremon Smith
  7. RB Javonte Williams
  8. P Riley Dixon
  9. LB Justin Strnad
  10. OL Matt Peart
  11. CB Levi Wallace
  12. LB Zach Cunningham
  13. FB Michael Burton
  14. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  15. OL Quinn Bailey (RFA)
  16. LS Mitchell Fraboni (RFA)
  17. TE Lucas Krull (ERFA)
  18. OLB Dondrea Tillman (ERFA)
  19. DB Devon Key (ERFA)
  20. DL Jordan Jackson (ERFA)
  21. CB Ja’Quan McMillian (ERFA)

The NFL’s 2025 negotiating period will run from March 10-12 ahead of the official start of NFL free agency on March 12.

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Broncos nominate Alex Singleton for Walter Payton Man of the Year

Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee for 2024.

The Denver Broncos nominated linebacker Alex Singleton for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, the team announced Thursday.

“Considered the NFL’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recognizes a player for his outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community,” said the Broncos in a press release.

Singleton’s work off the field is something close to his heart; work with the Special Olympics. “Singleton’s older sister, Ashley, has been a Special Olympics athlete for more than 20 years, inspiring him to become an advocate for the organization,” said the statement. Singleton’s sister helped announce his nomination, wearing a shirt that read, “My brother is the Broncos’ Walter Payton Man of the Year.”

Singleton has experienced a roller coaster of a season, being voted a captain before the year began, and then tearing his ACL in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite playing all 57 snaps during the game.

You can watch Singleton’s reaction to his nomination below.

“Previous Broncos nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award include tackle Garett Bolles (2023), guard Dalton Risner (2022), safety Justin Simmons (2019-21), outside linebacker Von Miller (2018) and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (2017). John Elway (1992) is the only Broncos nominee to win the national award, which was first given in 1970 and renamed after the Chicago Bears’ Pro Football Hall of Fame running back in 1999,” said the release.

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5 Broncos players who deserve to make the 2025 Pro Bowl

These five Denver Broncos players should make the Pro Bowl this season.

Fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl opened on Monday and the Denver Broncos have five players who deserve to make the All-Star game.

Here’s a quick list of the Broncos players who should receive an invite to Florida following the regular season.

1. CB Pat Surtain: PS2 has allowed just 142 passing yards this season, fewest in the NFL among qualified cornerbacks. Add in three interceptions (including a 100-yard pick-six) and Surtain should be a lock.

2. G Quinn Meinerz: He delivers pancake blocks seemingly every week. Meinerz is overdue for his first career Pro Bowl nod.

3. DL Zach Allen: He’s currently sidelined with a heel injury, but Allen still leads defensive linemen with 52 pressures this season. Allen has dominated this fall, totaling 21 quarterback hits, 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and five sacks through 11 games.

4. OLB Nik Bonitto: The first Broncos to record double-digit sacks since 2018, Bonitto is in contention to lead the NFL in sacks this season.

5. WR Courtland Sutton: His 744 receiving yards rank in the top four in the AFC, as do his five receiving touchdowns. Sutton has been a reliable WR1 for rising rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Honorable mentions: CB Riley Moss, K Wil Lutz, OLB Jonathon Cooper, CB Ja’Quan McMillian, DB Brandon Jones, LT Garett Bolles, QB Bo Nix, KR/PR Marvin Mims and ST Tremon Smith.

Fans can vote for the Pro Bowl through Dec. 23. The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Feb. 2.

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Brian Baldinger breaks down film of key Broncos players vs. Falcons

Brian Baldinger breaks down key plays involving Bo Nix, Garett Bolles, Pat Surtain and Ja’Quan McMillian from Sunday’s big win.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ big win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger took to Twitter/X to break down some of the key performances from the 38-6 victory.

First up is Baldinger reacting to quarterback Bo Nix leading a pair of scoring drives in the third quarter.

“This throw right here to Devaughn Vele is just a dime … the throw is perfect,” Baldinger said of Nix’s strike.

Baldinger also broke down left tackle Garett Bolles’ impressive blocking.

“Bolles was 10-for-10 on his assignments on this opening drive,” Baldinger said.

The defense wasn’t overlooked.

“Pound-for-pound, this Ja’Quan McMillian is as good as any football player in this league,” Baldinger exclaimed.

Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain also received love from the NFL Network pundit:

Former cornerback Chris Harris chimed in on Twitter/X to say Surtain and McMillian both deserve All-Pro nods in 2024.

Up next for the Broncos is a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix responds to Alex Forsyth backlash: ‘It ticks me off’

“It ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays,” Bo Nix said.

The Denver Broncos suffered a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after the team’s last-second field goal attempt was blocked.

The Chiefs had identified Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth as being “light on his toes,” making him susceptible to a bullrush. Kansas City rushed three defenders at Forsyth’s spot and ended up blocking the kick to secure the win.

Denver coach Sean Payton has said the loss — and the block — was not the fault of a single player, but that hasn’t stopped fans from lashing out at Forsyth on social media.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had his first media availability of the week on Wednesday and he came to the defense of Forsyth, who played with Nix at Oregon.

“So, I think it’s very unfortunate, very unfair that, ultimately a play comes down to one moment and — something, people can say that it falls under one person and nobody prepares like Alex Forsyth prepares,” Nix said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. “Nobody goes through the moments throughout the week and gets every set and every look that he possibly can and go out there and put his team in the best possible spot. And I think it’s unfair that — unfortunately, it’s the game we play and all of our mistakes are on national TV and everyone sees them and there’s a lot of negative talk when somebody messes up, but I think it’s — I think it should be known how valuable he is to our team, how much he is respected throughout our locker room.

“It really — it ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays. And I have no doubt that Alex Forsyth’s going to respond probably better than anybody in that situation. He cares more than anybody would in that situation. And I know every single one of our team, every single guy in our locker room believes in him to move on and respond. And what happened to him sucks, it really does. It’s happened to many of us, and you just gotta, unfortunately get over it and you gotta find ways to move past it.

“And he’s mentally tough. He’s been through tougher life moments than probably any of us, and so, he knows how to handle adversity, and I’m excited to see him grow and respond through this. And I can’t imagine as much as he works throughout a week, how much more he’s going to put on himself, but I respect him greatly. I hate that he’s having to go through all this, but sometimes it’s part of the game and it is what we signed up for, but I’m happy to be on his team. I’m proud to call him a teammate, and I know he’s going to respond really well.”

Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz also came to Forsyth’s defense. Bolles said fans shouldn’t pin the game on Forsyth when the offense only scored 14 points.

Meinerz said Forsyth getting blamed was ridiculous.

Former Broncos players have also come to Forsyth’s defense, with ex-lineman Tyler Polumbus and retired tight end Joel Dreessen sticking up for the center on social media.

Forsyth will get his first opportunity to bounce back when the Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

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