Denver Broncos highest-paid player in 2022 no. 2: Garett Bolles, OT
2022 cash: $17 million
What a success story.
Garett Bolles looked like he was on his way to potential NFL Draft first-round bust territory over the first three years of his career.
Miraculously, in year four, he had a major turnaround and the Denver Broncos rewarded him with a long-term contract extension.
He rewarded them with even more consistent play in 2021.
Bolles has a cash payout in 2022 of $17 million but his cap hit is actually $21 million this season due to a prorated bonus that counts $4 million against this year’s books.
The cash payout on Bolles’ deal this year is the sum total of his base salary. At $17 million, Bolles is making $1 million per game this season, if you want to break it down that way.
The $21 million Bolles will count against this year’s salary cap is the biggest figure of the duration of the contract.
His cap hit in 2023 goes down to $18 million, and in 2024, it jumps back up to $20 million.
The contract with Bolles was structured to have an “out” at the end of the 2022 season with just $8 million in dead money.
Considering the fact that Bolles is playing a premium position and is playing well, it would be surprising if the Broncos decided to take the ‘out’ that’s available to them but you never know.