The Denver Broncos featured one of the best offensive lines in football this year, and their All-Pro guard just declined a Pro Bowl invite. In his third year as a full-time starter in the NFL, Quinn Meinerz made a statement. In fact, he played so well in 2024 that he was named to the first-team All-Pro squad.
A third-round pick out of the 2021 NFL Draft, Meinerz has turned into one of the best decisions George Paton has made as General Manager of the Denver Broncos. Meinerz plays with a nasty edge that can't be reached by most other offensive linemen.
He's turned into a foundational piece of the Denver Broncos, as the team did award him with a four-year extension recently. Well, Meinerz was invited to the Pro Bowl to replace one of the Kansas City Chiefs' Pro Bowl guards; Joe Thuney and Trey Smith.
Here was his response:
Source on #Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz declining invitation to replace either Kansas City guard Joe Thuney or Chiefs guard Trey Smith in Pro Bowl Games: "He doesn't want to be a replacement."
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 27, 2025
Talk about a total pro. There might not be a more fierce competitor in the NFL than Quinn Meinerz. His toughness and clear dedication to winning and to get better should not make this statement much of a surprise. Meinerz is one piece of an elite offensive line featuring notable names like Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, and Mike McGlinchey.
With the recent contract extensions for Meinerz and Bolles, the Broncos do have four huge contracts along their offensive line. The main issue with the OL is the clear weakness at center. Luke Wattenberg was good in pass protection in 2024 but left a lot of meat on the bone in run blocking.
It's not clear if the Broncos would be willing to dip into the free agent market and potentially bring in a fifth large contract at center. The most likely scenario is them looking to the 2025 NFL Draft to find someone who could potentially be an upgrade.
Overall, though, the offensive line is in a great spot, and Quinn Meinerz is absolutely the best player along that unit. His response when declining the Pro Bowl invitation is awesome and kind of speaks for the entire Denver Broncos' roster. They were counted on in a huge way in 2024 and did nothing but prove people wrong.
Winning 10 games and making the postseason with the 31st-best roster or 23rd-best coaching staff as some said was some amazing work. The hope here is that Meinerz and the entire Broncos' team can make a huge leap in 2025.