Broncos release final injury report: Ben Powers status update

Broncos guard Ben Powers (shoulder) has no injury designation for Sunday’s game. He’s good to go.

After sitting out Wednesday’s practice, Denver Broncos left guard Ben Powers (shoulder) was back at practice on Thursday and Friday.

Powers has no injury status designation on the final injury report, so he has been cleared to play against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Powers started all 17 games for the Broncos last season and the first 11 games this fall. He has been penalized four times and allowed one sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.

Elsewhere on the injury front, wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) have been ruled out. Denver’s top defensive lineman, Zach Allen (heel) is listed as questionable.

The Broncos’ final injury report can be seen below. DNP = did not participate.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DL Zach Allen (rest Wed/Thur, heel Fri) Limited Full Limited Questionable
DB Brandon Jones (abdomen) Limited Full Full
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full Full
WR Josh Reynolds (hand) Full Full Full Out
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Full Full Full Out
G Ben Powers (shoulder) DNP Limited Full

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on Fox (view the TV map). The Broncos are considered the favorite despite playing on the road.

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Broncos release Thursday injury report: Starting guard back at practice

Good news — Broncos guard Ben Powers (shoulder) was back at practice today after sitting out Wednesday’s session.

After sitting out Wednesday’s practice, Denver Broncos left guard Ben Powers (shoulder) was back on the field Thursday on a limited basis.

Powers started all 17 games for the Broncos last season and the first 11 games this fall. He has been penalized four times and allowed one sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.

Denver’s depth chart lists Calvin Throckmorton as the backup guard behind Powers. Other backup options include Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart and Alex Palczewski.

Elsewhere on the injury front, wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) and running back Tyler Badie (back) are eligible to return from injured reserve, but Badie has not yet returned to practice.

Denver’s complete Thursday injury report can be seen below. DNP = did not participate.

Player Wed Thur Fri Game Status
DB P.J. Locke (thumb) Full Full
LB Drew Sanders (Achilles) Full Full
WR Josh Reynolds (hand) Full Full
DL Zach Allen (NIR – rest) Limited Full
DB Brandon Jones (abdomen) Limited Full
G Ben Powers (shoulder) DNP Limited

The Broncos will practice again on Friday before releasing a final injury report with game statuses for Sunday’s showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz delivered huge blocks vs. Falcons

Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz dominated the Falcons on Sunday.

Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz is a beast.

The 2023 Pro Bowl alternate continues turning heads as he delivers pancake blocks on a near-weekly basis with the Broncos.

Meinerz played a role in running back Javonte Williams’ team-effort touchdown run, and he also delivered two big blocks against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

In the third quarter, Meinerz blocked Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss down field, then he turned his attention toward lighting up Atlanta safety Jessie Bates. Those blocks helped wide receiver Troy Franklin score on a screen play to extend the lead to 28-6.

Here’s the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page. Meinerz is the right guard, No. 77:

Meinerz delivered another pancake block on linebacker Nate Landman on a different screen pass:

Former NFL offensive lineman AQ Shipley reacted to Meinerz’s big block on Twitter/X:

Meinerz (6-3, 320 pounds) has clearly established himself as one of the best guards in the NFL, and he should earn his first career Pro Bowl nod this fall.

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Broncos sign guard/center to 53-man roster ahead of Ravens game

After using up his practice squad elevations, the Broncos fully promoted offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton to the 53-man roster.

The Denver Broncos promoted guard/center Calvin Throckmorton from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Friday, the team announced.

After losing center Luke Wattenberg to an ankle injury, the Broncos elevated Throckmorton from the practice squad to the game-day roster for each of their last three games, which is the maximum number of elevations a player can have in a single season.

With Wattenberg still one week away from being eligible to return from injured reserve, Denver has fully promoted Throckmorton to the active roster so he can serve as the team’s backup center against the Baltimore Ravens behind fill-in starter Alex Forsyth.

Once Wattenberg returns to the active roster (perhaps as early as next week), Throckmorton might be a candidate to get bumped back down to the practice squad.

To make room for Throckmorton on the 53-man roster, the Broncos released veteran fullback Michael Burton on Friday. Burton is expected to re-join the team on the practice squad on Saturday.

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Quinn Meinerz had a bad bowling experience at The Greenbrier

Quinn Meinerz brought his own bowling ball and shoes to the The Greenbrier, but the lanes were not oiled and his ball got scratched.

After playing in Florida last week, the Denver Broncos are staying at a luxury (haunted?) resort in West Virginia this week leading up to their game against the New York Jets on Sunday.

The Greenbrier has its own bowling lanes and a golf course, and Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was excited to bowl this week, but it didn’t go well.

“I went to the bowling alley,” Meinerz recalled Thursday. “I brought my own ball and shoes. But they didn’t oil the lanes, so as soon as I threw the ball, it went straight to the gutter. And then when it came back from the return, [it left] scratches on my ball and everything. So I kind of stopped bowling and then went to the arcade.”

https://twitter.com/Scotty_G6/status/1839388811840913526

Meinerz said his league average was 200 in 2023.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and cornerback Pat Surtain both gave positive reports about The Greenbrier, and it has met the team’s football needs, but not everything has been perfect. Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers estimated that the ate “about 14 times” on Tuesday. He only had one complaint, via the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson:

Franklin-Myers said the only issue he had was ordering a chicken sandwich and was surprised that it was open-faced. So, he asked for a bun to put on top.

The Greenbrier is a beautiful location to practice, but it’s not without its peculiarities for players.

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Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz: ‘We’ve got to fix this [expletive]’

“We’ve got to fix this [expletive],” Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz said after Sunday’s loss.

Following a 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz pointed to himself and his teammates on the offensive line.

“We’re going to continue on the front five to keep on pointing thumbs in and we’ve got to fix this [expletive],” Meinerz said after the defeat.

Broncos running back Javonte Williams averaged just 1.5 yards per carry and Jaleel McLaughlin averaged 2.0 yards per carry against Pittsburgh. That’s not going to cut it.

“There was definitely an emphasis on the run game this week and it really sucks to fall short once again,” Meinerz said.

Denver is now 0-2 after losing on the road in Week 1 and at home in Week 2.

“Hate it,” Meinerz said when asked how it feels to lose at home. “It’s one of the worst feelings. You know, I personally — and I know a lot of the guys on the offensive line — we want to bring back the winning tradition here at Mile High, using the altitude and all those other things to our advantage.”

https://twitter.com/VicLombardi/status/1835471947263889705

Meinerz, a team captain this season, has accepted blame for the team’s offensive struggles, and he has noted the offensive line needs to step up.

“[W]’ve got to continue to stick together, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and keep putting the pressure on us, because it’s on us at the end of the day. Us five.”

Meinerz and Co. will attempt to bounce back when the Broncos go on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.

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3 offensive linemen worked out for the Broncos on Thursday

Offensive linemen Aaron Monteiro, Mike Novitsky and Mike Panasiuk worked out for the Broncos on Thursday.

The Denver Broncos brought in three offensive linemen for workouts on Thursday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Denver brought in tackle Aaron Monteiro, center Mike Novitsky and guard Mike Panasiuk.

Monteiro (6-6, 315 pounds) played college football at Boston College, earning third-team All-ACC recognition as a senior in 2018. He has spent time with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, but he has never played in a regular-season game.

Novitsky (6-5, 295 pounds) played college football at Buffalo and Kansas. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April and he was waived earlier this month.

Panasiuk (6-4, 300 pounds) played college football at Michigan State. He has spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and Panthers but has only ever played in preseason games.

Elsewhere in the NFL, former Broncos wide receiver Trinty Benson and linebacker Justin Hollins worked out for the Commanders earlier this week. Hollins also worked out for the Indianapolis Colts.

Denver seems to be looking for more depth on the offensive line going into Week 2 of NFL preseason. We’ll track any potential signings on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos sign offensive lineman after losing Quinn Bailey to season-ending IR

The Broncos signed offensive lineman Oliver Jervis on Thursday and placed Quinn Bailey on the season-ending injured reserve list.

The Denver Broncos signed 24-year-old offensive lineman Oliver Jervis on Thursday after losing lineman Quinn Bailey to a season-ending ankle injury.

Jervis (6-5, 305 pounds) is an undrafted rookie out of Colorado State. He spent the first five years of his college career at Monmouth University before transferring to CSU ahead of the 2023 season. Jervis started all 12 games at tackle for the Rams last fall, giving him 36 career starts at the college level. He was one of three linemen who worked out for the Broncos last week.

Bailey dislocated his right ankle and suffered a fractured fibula during Wednesday’s practice, coach Sean Payton announced. Bailey will undergo surgery next week after being placed on season-ending IR.

“There are two parts to the injury,” Payton said. “He dislocated his ankle and he fractured his fibula, the smaller bone a little further up. Next week — I don’t have the day yet, but he’ll have the ankle surgery and there’s probably a good chance they’ll just leave the fibula and let it heal, but they’ll look at that.

“The main injury is the ankle, so he’ll have that done next week. He was put on reserve injured and then we signed the young offensive lineman we had out in camp from Colorado State, Oliver.

Each team can designate up to two players to return from IR on roster cutdown day. Because Bailey was placed on IR at this point in the offseason, he won’t be eligible to return during the 2024 season.

Denver linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) could be a candidate to be placed on IR when the Broncos set their initial 53-man roster later this month (Aug. 27).

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Broncos OL Quinn Bailey fractures ankle, will have surgery

Broncos offensive lineman Quinn Bailey was carted off the practice field Wednesday with an apparent right leg injury.

Story update: After practice, Broncos coach Sean Payton announced that Quinn Bailey fractured his ankle. Bailey will undergo surgery. See our original post below.


Denver Broncos versatile backup offensive lineman Quinn Bailey was carted off the practice field during Wednesday’s training camp session.

Bailey went down during 9-on-7 drills with what appeared to be a “gruesome lower right leg injury,” according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel.

Bailey was carried onto a cart with a “heavy brace” on his right leg, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. He was then loaded into an ambulance, presumably to be taken to a local hospital.

Bailey, 28, originally joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2019. He bounced between the practice squad and active roster from 2019-2022 before locking down a spot on the 53-man roster last summer.

Bailey is a versatile backup swing tackle/guard who dressed for all 17 games last fall. He served as an injury fill-in starter for one game in each of the last two seasons. Bailey was one of the favorites to serve as the team’s top backup swing tackle in 2024.

With Bailey sidelined, Denver’s remaining backup tackles include Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Matt Peart and Demontrey Jacobs.

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Broncos roster series: No. 77, guard Quinn Meinerz

Quinn Meinerz — “The Belly” — is one of the best guards in the NFL and the Broncos rewarded his play with a big extension this offseason.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at fourth-year guard Quinn Meinerz, No. 77.

Before the Broncos: Meinerz (6-3, 320 pounds) played college football at Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Division III program. Despite playing at a small school, Meinerz caught the attention of NFL teams with his impressive film. A two-time All-WIAC guard, Meinerz stood out at the Senior Bowl ahead of the 2021 NFL draft. He also went viral after posting videos of his unique outdoor workouts on his Instagram page.

Broncos tenure: Denver picked Meinerz in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft and he quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his habit of “letting the belly breathe” at practice and delivering huge blocks on game days. After emerging as one of the best guards in the NFL, Meinerz was rewarded with a four-year, $80 million contract extension this offseason.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Lock. Meinerz is Denver’s best offensive lineman and after getting a massive contract extension, he’s poised to remain with the team through at least the 2028 season.

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