The Denver Broncos have officially been eliminated from the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean this team has nothing to play for in the coming weeks, starting with Sunday’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Although it feels a bit like a preseason game, there’s a bit of peace going into each week for the Broncos (post-elimination) knowing a couple of things.
First of all, the outcome of the games doesn’t really matter at this point. It does in terms of NFL Draft pick positioning, but the most important picks in that regard are going to Seattle. The Broncos’ final four games of the 2022 season are not just about playing for “pride” either but evaluating the future of the team and the people/players that will be with the organization beyond this season.
Which players on the roster have the most to play for starting with this weekend’s matchup against the Cardinals?
3 Denver Broncos players playing for their future vs. Cardinals
1. Pretty much the whole offensive line
The Denver Broncos have been in the “evaluation” stage regarding the offensive line for quite some time now. Let’s take a look at the projected starting five heading into the 2022 season and where they’re at today:
- LT Garett Bolles: IR
- LG Dalton Risner: 4 games left before becoming a free agent
- C Lloyd Cushenberry: IR
- RG Quinn Meinerz: Spot likely solidified for 2023
- RT Billy Turner: IR, could play Sunday (also a free agent in 2023)
At this particular point in time, it’s not out of the question that the Broncos could change four out of the five starters on the offensive line. Is that likely? Probably not. It’s more likely that we see Garett Bolles back after recovering from his broken leg and it may even be more likely that we see Dalton Risner return than not.
With that said, we’re in evaluation mode for all of the guys that will be out there on Sunday. The only issue is, what guys out there on Sunday will actually have a future with this team? The biggest “if” in that situation could be Risner at the left guard spot, auditioning over these final four games for the front office.