“The fact that we gave ourselves a chance there at the end to have another opportunity says a lot about our team,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said.
The Denver Broncos fell behind 20-0 in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday and they trailed 23-0 entering the fourth quarter.
Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix then led three scoring drives to make it 23-16 and the team was an onside kick away from getting a chance to tie the game. The onside attempt failed and Denver fell to 3-3, but the team never quit and battled until the end.
That counts for something, right?
“Week-in and week-out that there’s no quit in this team,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “Down 23-0, it could have been easy for us to lay down and say, ‘Oh, they got us today’, but no. We went out there and we put our best foot forward in that half and came a little short. Those are the sins from the first half, and that’s something that we can address, and it’s something that we can fix.
“However, that second half showed everything that we needed to know about this team and that there’s no quit. Everybody’s going to continue to battle, continue to fight, until the clock has four zeros on it. I tell the guys all the time, they’re going to get everything I got the entire game, until it says zero. Whatever it may be, and I know that every guy in this locker room believes that we can accomplish whatever we want.”
The Broncos clearly need to play with more urgency from the start of games, but it is a good sign that the team doesn’t give up.
“It shows that no matter what type of adversity we’re going through, we will rally together,” guard Quinn Meinerz said. “No matter what, we’re still going to be fighting until the clock says zero.”
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers echoed that sentiment: “I said it in training camp, I wasn’t born with a quit button. Nobody on this team was either and you saw it in that second half. We have got to start faster, we understand that, but you have next week for that.”
Rallying back is great, but the players also know they have to start games better. Sunday’s deficit proved to be too large to overcome.
“We never wavered,” pass rusher Nik Bonitto said. “We always knew we can come back in the game, no matter how many points. We’ve seen it last year, against Chicago and in multiple games, but we just have to come out with better urgency.”
Denver’s left tackle, Garett Bolles, said he was proud of the team’s effort to fight back after falling behind.
“[We’re] relentless,” Bolles said. “This team is young and full of dogs. It really is. You know, me being the older guy, you know, being around these young guys, that fuels me. I’m very grateful for this team. We don’t have one single quitter on this team. We’re just a bunch of dogs that are just hungry and humble, and we just want to win and play ball.
“You know, we got to work out some kinks. Obviously, we got some things that we got to fix but to come back, being down by 20 or 23 points and scoring 14 points, that’s hard to do in this league. It really is hard, but we have nothing but fighters, and I couldn’t be more proud of this team after a loss like this.”
Fittingly, Nix had perhaps the best message after the game.
“It’s tough, but I think that’s our team,” the QB said. “I think that’s what kind of team we have. We have a very determined and hard-working team. We’re able to get down and continue to fight. Not every game is going to be easy. We’re not going to blow every team out. Sometimes you get knocked down early [and] you’ve got to find a way to gut it out at the end. The fact that we gave ourselves a chance there at the end to have another opportunity says a lot about our team. I’m excited about this team. I know today wasn’t what we wanted, but I feel like we’re headed in the right direction with how we finished the game.
“You can’t normally take moral victories after a loss, it’s tough. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody wants to be on that side, but you can look at it and you can only go two ways. You can continue to go backwards, let it defeat you, let it crush you, and you get in your head, or you’re going to continue to move forward. I believe our team is going to continue to move forward [and] stay motivated. Today didn’t settle well with us. We’re going to continue to battle, find ways to get better, and continue to put good stuff on the field.”
Spoken like a team captain.
The Broncos will face the Chargers again in Week 16.
“We have to be better,” coach Sean Payton said. “We will see them again at some point and we will go from there.”
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
After Pat Surtain and Quinn Meinerz extensions, the Broncos now have their two best players signed for the duration of Bo Nix’s rookie deal.
The Denver Broncos made a splash on Wednesday by giving star cornerback Pat Surtain a four-year, $96 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Surtain still had two years left on his existing deal, so he is now signed through the 2029 season.
In a three-month span, the Broncos secured their two best players on deals that will keep them under contract together for the next five years. Coincidentally — or perhaps intentionally — that is also how long rookie quarterback Bo Nix is under contract in Denver.
As a first-round draft pick, Nix received a four-year, $18.6 million deal that includes a fifth-year option for the 2028 season.
So the Broncos will have their two best players under contract for the duration of Nix’s team-friendly rookie deal. Denver now has a window to make some noise early in Nix’s career. Let’s see if they can take advantage of it.
Here are 10 takeaways following the first week of Broncos training camp.
The Denver Broncos started their ramp-up sessions last Wednesday, but the team did not begin official full-speed training camp practices until last Friday. So based on official practices, today marks the end of the first week of Broncos training camp.
So far there’s been one fight — tight end Nate Adkins and outside linebacker Durell Nchami got into it after a run play on Tuesday.
“It’s a scuffle,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the incident after Tuesday’s practice. “Sometimes it doesn’t bother me. In that case, I think we’ll look at the film. I think one player gets blocked pretty well and frustrated. I don’t want discipline fouls, and we’ve all seen it. We talked a little bit about it afterwards, but the guys are working hard.”
That was perhaps Payton’s diplomatic way of telling Nchami to keep a cool head after getting thoroughly blocked by Adkins. That kind of retaliation on a game day would have led to a 15-yard penalty.
Scuffle aside, what did we learn from the first week of training camp? Here are ten quick takeaways from Denver.
Broncos backup swing tackle/guard Quinn Baileyfractured his ankle at Tuesday’s practice, a brutal injury for the 28-year-old lineman. Bailey was set to serve as the team’s “No. 6 lineman” this season, used in “jumbo” formations and filling in whenever a starting tackle or guard was sidelined. It’s now uncertain if Bailey will be able to return in 2024.
“It’s always tough to see and to be a part of when you’re at a practice,” Payton said of the injury. “It’s one of the bitter realities of our game. He was having a really good camp.”
Elsewhere on the injury front, safety Brandon Jones (hamstring) will be out another week or so, Caden Sterns (knee) is being eased into action and lineman Nick Gargiulo (undisclosed) remains sidelined.
2. Quinn Meinerz’s contract exemplifies Payton’s view of o-line
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver rewarded guard Quinn Meinerz with a four-year, $80 million contract extension before kicking off training camp. Giving big-money contracts to offensive linemen is nothing new for Payton.
“I think it is the most important position group on your roster,” Payton said last week when asked about valuing the offensive line. “I think it permeates your building. I believe that and it has served us well everywhere I have been.”
Since he arrived last year, Payton quickly emphasized improving the offensive line. He brought in two new starters through free agency last year and gave Meinerz an extension this year. Garett Bolles is up next (more on that later).
“I think it was really stressed to us a lot last year about how for the most part, the team goes as far as the offensive line,” Meinerz said. “So that kind of shows this offensive system and its success that Sean has had in the past. So we’ve understood since this new staff came that came in that the pressure was going to be put on the offensive line and that in the same breath, the way the games go, it’s on us.
“If we win a game, it’s on us, if we lose a game it’s on us and that’s the kind of mentality that we have. Whether it be in practice, individual period, team periods, one-on-ones, weight room, meetings, we know what’s at stake. We know what the pressure is — but I mean the cliché is that pressure makes diamonds. We’re ready for it.”
3. Pat Surtain and Garett Bolles are now on deck
(Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
Following the big extension for Meinerz, star cornerback Pat Surtainand left tackle Garett Bolles are now next in line for new contracts.
Payton said “we will keep you posted” when asked about a potential extension for Surtain, and he confirmed that he wants to re-sign the cornerback. PS2, meanwhile, is focusing on his play.
“There’s no specific timeframe right now,” Surtain said when asked if there’s a timeline for a new deal. “I’m going to let my agent handle that and let that process speak for itself. Right now, my ongoing focus is the football field for sure.”
Bolles is in a similar scenario.
“This team counts on me, so any time that we have voluntary or team meetings or whatever it is, I’m going to be the first one there,” Bolles said. “I love this city and I love this organization. I want to play my whole career here. The front office knows that. They know I want to be a Bronco for life.
“My family is here and established here. We love it here. We don’t want to go anywhere else. My job is to just play good football and the ball is in their court. I just have to do my job and the rest will take care of itself.”
4. Javonte Williams lost weight at Payton’s request
“He set me a goal weight and I got to it,” Williams said last week. The running back stopped eating after 7 p.m. and cut out snacks, including Takis, one of his favorites.
“The type of coach Coach Payton is, he’s seen a lot of great running backs come through,” Williams said. “Anything that he says, I’m going to listen to it. Just for him to even care and just to tell me, ‘This is what I want you to be when you come back to have the best chance to do what you have to do.’ That by itself just showed me that he cared, and if he put that much effort into it, I will too.”
Payton has praised Williams this summer, saying early in camp that the fourth-year running back has looked “real sharp.”
Some fans and pundits speculated this offseason that Williams might have a reduced role in 2024. The team’s backfield rotation, however, suggests that Williams will remain the RB1. The other spots are still up for grabs.
Denver drafted Audric Estime and then signed Blake Watson as a college free agent this spring, adding them to a backfield that already included Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.
“I think we have good competition there,” Payton said. “We have good skill sets and guys that can do different things there. Historically speaking for me, I’ve always believed that that depth is important because there’s a lot of wear and tear in 17 weeks to play with just one runner. It’s good to have him out there.”
It seems fair to assume the Broncos will carry four running backs on the 53-man roster. If they don’t believe Watson can sneak down to the practice squad, Perine could end up being a cap casualty.
“It’s going to be real intense and that’s the way you should want it to be,” Williams said of the RB competition. “No days off, like it says right here, ‘Compete Street,’ and every day we’re coming in and competition [should] be excellent. We’re all just going to get better from it.”
6. Courtland Sutton’s glad to be back with a revised deal
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton skipped the voluntary portion of the team’s offseason program in protest of his contract situation. Sutton reported for all of the mandatory sessions and Denver agreed to revise his contract one day before official training camp practices started last week.
Sutton can now earn an additional $1.5 million through new incentives in 2024 and he’s glad to have the negotiations behind him.
“It was nice,” Sutton said of the incentives being added. “I think it was made pretty clear that this is home for me, and this is where I wanted to be. I’m grateful that we were able to come to some form of an agreement to be able to help both of us move forward.”
With his contract situation sorted out, Sutton is now “like a kid in a candy store” at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.
“It’s been amazing,” Sutton said. “I think the last time I talked to you guys, I told you that it was killing me not being out on the field with the guys. I’ve just been out here enjoying it like a kid in a candy store. Every little thing is a big thing, and just enjoying it.
“From the individuals [drills], to stretching with the guys, to route on air, being able to finally run plays against the defense, being in the huddle and hearing plays. All of those different things have been such a blessing to be able to do. [I’m] just enjoying each step of the way. It’s been a lot of fun.”
7. Sean Payton likes to have big wide receivers
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Broncos have 12 wide receivers on the 90-man offseason roster. Of those receivers, all but three are at least 6-1. Seven are 6-3 or taller. That’s not a coincidence — it’s a Payton preference.
“That position group is going to be interesting as you guys look at it, try to put it together and piece together,” Payton said of the WR room. “It’s a big group, size wise. First year I ever coached in the NFL in 1997 in Philadelphia, we played the 49ers.
“I want to say it’s ’97 — could have been ’98. It was at the old Veteran’s Stadium, and I remember when the Niners’ receivers walked out, it was Jerry Rice, and John Taylor and it was [J.J.] Stokes. I couldn’t get over how they looked. There is a prototype. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be smaller — then they have a different skill set — but in this league, that’s what we’re looking for. This is a big group.”
Courtland Sutton is 6-4, as are Tim Patrick and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The tallest receiver on the roster is Devaughn Vele (6-5), and Payton’s appreciation of height is something to keep in mind when predicting Denver’s final WR depth chart.
8. Levi Wallace could be a sleeper at cornerback
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
In an ideal world, one of Riley Moss or Damarri Mathis will step up this summer and emerge as the team’s No. 2 cornerback across from Pat Surtain. That’s the preferred scenario. But a veteran like Levi Wallace stepping in as a short-term solution might be a more likely scenario.
“We have a good smart veteran player who has played in a lot of games,” Payton said of Wallace. “With the amount of multiple receiver sets we get, there’s that level of expertise and experience he brings. [He is] steady. I think he brings something to the room as well. I think quietly, he’s been a real good addition for us.”
Wallace has also drawn praise from Surtain, which is notable.
“It’s great,” PS2 said. “Another ‘Bama’ boy, so that’s great for sure. Levi, he’s provided a great presence to our secondary room. His experience — I think this is Year [7] for him. Going into it, he knows a lot about the game, a lot about Xs and Os. It helps a lot because when you have a veteran presence in the defensive back room it helps your game for sure.”
9. The center competition might be Luke Wattenberg’s to lose
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Luke Wattenberg handled the first-team center duties through the first few days of practice before Alex Forsyth eventually joined the rotation. Forsyth has also been getting some looks at guard, a position Wattenberg has also played in the past. That versatility will serve both players well. Whoever does not end up starting at center can serve as a backup swing guard/center. That might leave center Sam Mustipher as the odd man out.
“He’s smart,” Payton said when asked about Wattenberg. “I think he’s got good versatility. There are traits that you look forward to in a center. You look for guys that obviously are strong inside handling the pash rush. Then it’s how are they at the second level? Often times, that player is able to combo and get up to a linebacker—can they finish? So he’s someone that’s pretty athletic and has a really good ability to get to his second-level blocks.”
10. Quarterback competition seems to have two contenders
Bo Nix Looks Very Accurate at Broncos Training Camp with Deep Ball to Michael Bandy pic.twitter.com/nDl3k6QK1W
It’s no surprise, really, but Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nixseem to be pulling ahead of Zach Wilson in the quarterback battle.
Stidham already has a year of experience in Payton’s offense, which gives him an obvious advantage in the competition. It’s no surprise, then, that many pundits believe Stidham is the best QB1 option at this very moment.
That could change over the next few weeks, though, especially if Nix continues to impress.
Bo Nix is DEALING…just hit Reynolds for a 15 yard gain on a freaking rope over the out stretched hands of Ja’Quan McMillian along the left sideline. What a DIME@KOAColorado#Broncos
The competition will ultimately be decided during preseason. It would be a big upset for Wilson to bounce back and win the job. Whoever looks the best between Stidham and Nix this summer will line up under center when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.
First things first, Denver will have three preseason games in August, starting with a road game against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11. This is just a hunch, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Stidham start the first preseason game and Nix start the second. Perhaps the Broncos could then decide on a starter around the third week of preseason.
That’s just a guess, though. Payton hasn’t revealed his timeline for naming a starter. It’s obviously the story at training camp, and one we’ll continue to follow on Broncos Wire.
Garett Bolles has a contract set to expire after 2024, but you won’t hear him complain about it. The left tackle is focused on his job.
After giving a new deal to guard Quinn Meinerz, the next massive contract extension on deck for the Denver Broncos is that of cornerback Pat Surtain.
Surtain is still under contract for two more years, though, whereas left tackle Garett Bolles is set to become a free agent in 2025. If the Broncos want to keep Bolles in Denver beyond the 2024 season, they will likely work on an extension before next spring.
Unlike Surtain, Bolles is unlikely to become the highest-paid player at his position, but a new deal — or free agency — looms.
Despite going into the final year of his current deal, Bolles has not made a peep about his contract publicly. Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton skipped part of the team’s offseason program this spring in protest of his contract that had two years left. Other players across the league have held out while negotiating new deals.
Bolles has reported for duty with an expiring deal lingering.
“This team counts on me, so any time that we have voluntary or team meetings or whatever it is, I’m going to be the first one there,” Bolles said last week. “I love this city and I love this organization. I want to play my whole career here. The front office knows that. They know I want to be a Bronco for life.
“My family is here and established here. We love it here. We don’t want to go anywhere else. My job is to just play good football and the ball is in their court. I just have to do my job and the rest will take care of itself.”
Bolles went on a two-year church mission before college and eventually entered the NFL as a 25-year-old rookie. Now 32 years old, Bolles is entering his eighth season in the NFL. He doesn’t move like an aging veteran.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “He’s extremely athletic. You don’t feel eight years. Sometimes you feel that when you work with a player, other times you don’t. I don’t feel that with him.”
This will be the second time in his career that Bolles has received a new contract. When his rookie deal was winding down in 2020, Denver gave Bolles a four-year, $68 million extension. That deal is now set to expire following the 2024 season. The left tackle isn’t focused on an extension.
“They know I want to be here,” Bolles said. “There’s no — I’ve addressed that to them — they know that, but at the same time I can’t worry about that. I just have to do my job. Me and Coach Payton have a unique relationship.
“We’re super close and we talk. He just tells me to focus on the things that I need to focus on. That’s just being a good father, being a good husband, being a good son and then playing good football. If I can focus on those things just like I did in 2020, it worked out good for me.”
The Broncos have missed the playoffs and posted a losing record in each of Bolles’ first seven years in the NFL. The team now appears to be trending in the right direction, and Bolles wants to be part of the turnaround.
“I love being a Bronco,” he said. “I love this city. I love everything about this organization. We’re going in the right direction. I don’t think there’s anyone else in this building that wants to win here more than me just because I’ve been here the longest.
“I’ve seen the history that we have and the legends that we have in this organization. I feel like it’s my job to continue to build that and continue to create this team that we need to go forward.”
Following the release of safety Justin Simmons earlier this year, Bolles is the longest-tenured player in Denver. He’ll need a new contract for that status to extend beyond this fall. Perhaps an in-season extension is on the way. With or without a new deal, though, Bolles will show up with an excellent mentality every day.
“I’m going to let my agent handle that and let that process speak for itself. Right now, my ongoing focus is the football field,” PS2 said.
After giving a massive extension to guard Quinn Meinerz, the next order of business for the Denver Broncos will be reaching an agreement with cornerback Pat Surtain.
Surtain, 24, will earn just over $3.5 million this fall, then his salary will jump to $19.8 million in 2025 when his fifth-year option kicks in. The star cornerback is currently scheduled to become a free agent in 2026, but the Broncos don’t plan to let him test the market.
“We will keep you posted,” Denver coach Sean Payton said last week when asked about a potential extension for Surtain.
As for Surtain, he’s not focused on his next contract.
“No, I haven’t been putting much thought into it,” the cornerback said last Friday. “When that time comes it comes, but right now I’m navigating my focus towards the season and being the best player I can be for this team.”
Now entering his fourth season in the league, Surtain is eligible for an extension, and star players prefer to get a new deal before their contract runs down to one year. Surtain is focusing on training camp and the upcoming season, though, while his agent handles potential talks with the team.
“There’s no specific timeframe right now,” Surtain said. “I’m going to let my agent handle that and let that process speak for itself. Right now, my ongoing focus is the football field for sure.”
The two sides aren’t willing to talk about an extension publicly, but it is clear that the team wants PS2 to stay in Denver long-term.
“I think they’ve made it pretty clear that they want me to be a part of the team, and that’s what I’m looking forward to,” the cornerback said.
The Jacksonville Jaguars recently gave cornerback Tyson Campbell an extension that included $53.4 million guaranteed, a new high for CBs. In terms of total value, Denzel Ward (Cleveland Browns) has the record at $100.5 million. Jaire Alexander (Green Bay Packers) earns the most on a per-year average at $21 million. Alexander also has the record for the largest signing bonus ($30 million) given to a cornerback.
Surtain is considered the best cornerback in the NFL by league personnel, and his agent will want PS2’s salary to reflect that. We expect Surtain to receive a contract near (or higher than) the above figures in the coming months. After giving Meinerz a new deal before training camp, the Broncos might be trending toward an in-season extension for Surtain.
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.
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.
Wisconsin high school football standout inks four-year contract extension with Broncos
Former Wisconsin high school football standout Quinn Meinerz signed a four-year, $80 million contract extension with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Despite not playing for the Badgers during his collegiate tenure, Meinerz made the jump to the collegiate scene after an impressive athletic career at Hartford Union High School in Hartford, Wisconsin.
Outside the gridiron, Meinerz was a talented athlete in track and field and wrestling. In football, the 6-foot-3, 320-pounder earned an honorable mention all-state nod as both an offensive and defensive lineman during his senior season.
Meinerz played college football at Wisconsin-Whitewater from 2017-2019. After playing just two games his freshman season, the guard started 29 of his next 31 appearances and pocketed All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association first-team honors after a stellar junior season in 2019.
Sources: Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz, who has started 39 games since Denver selected him out Wisconsin–Whitewater in the third round of the 2021 Draft, is signing a four-year, $80 million contract extension that includes $45 million guaranteed and ties him to the team through the… pic.twitter.com/5puCKzozLj
The Broncos selected Meinerz with the 98th pick of the 2021 NFL draft, making him the highest-drafted player in Wisconsin-Whitewater history.
Over the last three seasons, Meinerz has started 39 games, including 30 straight dating to the start of Denver’s 2022 season. During his second year in the NFL, the Hartford native allowed three sacks on 479 pass-blocking snaps.
The contract extension is a significant vote of confidence in Meinerz from Broncos’ brass. He becomes the third highest-paid active guard by annual salary behind the Eagles’ Landon Dickerson and the Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom.
The Broncos are giving Quinn Meinerz a four-year, $80 million contract extension that will keep him in Denver through 2028.
The Denver Broncos are giving star guard Quinn Meinerz a four-year, $80 million contract extension, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was among the first to break the news on Tuesday evening.
Meinerz (6-3, 320 pounds) will get $45 million guaranteed and he is now under contract through the 2028 season. The offensive lineman currently has one year left on his rookie deal and he’s set to earn $3.366 million before his extension kicks in next year. Meinerz will earn an average of $20 million per season on his new deal.
Meinerz, 25, was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Meinerz played at a Division III program, but his college film and strong showing at the Senior Bowl impressed NFL teams.
A Pro Bowl alternate last season, Meinerz was recently ranked as the fifth-best guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He’s now paid like one.
Up next for Denver will be giving a contract extension to star cornerback Pat Surtain. PS2 still has two years left on his current deal after the Broncos picked up his fifth-year option this spring.
Meinerz’s new deal won’t impact the team’s 2024 salary cap space.
