The Denver Broncos must consider benching starting center Luke Wattenberg after a horror show of a performance in Week 1.
The Broncos won, and a win is a win. Week 1 can be tricky sometimes, as teams are usually not playing at their best or even at their worst. Denver was very clearly in a potential trap game situation, but they just barely made enough plays to win.
On the bright side, the defense was suffocating, and the run game did get going in the second half. However, it did seem like a key player along the offensive line struggled a ton, and at this point, it might not hurt to send him to the bench.
Luke Wattenberg should head to the bench in favor of Alex Forsyth
This play on the failed Broncos' QB sneak really encapsulated what I believed to be a pretty rough game from starting center Luke Wattenberg:
I’ve never seen a DT meet the QB in the backfield this quickly on a sneak
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 7, 2025
Bo Nix can’t even move forward on the sneak before T’Vondre Sweat hits him
INCREDIBLE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xn2U0euQ1V
Wattenberg is in his second year as a starter in the NFL and his fourth year with the Denver Broncos. Last year, he seemed to excel as a pass blocker but did have some shortcomings as a run blocker. That skillset might still be present with the veteran in 2025, and if he can't get any better, it might be time to see what Alex Forsyth can do.
Forsyth and QB Bo Nix were teammates at Oregon, so the chemistry there is too obvious to ignore. Furthermore, Forsyth has proven to be a stronger run blocker, so that could be another huge reason to give him a nod in the starting lineup.
When Forsyth had to start last year for Luke Wattenberg, the Broncos' run game was more efficient, and that was not a coincidence. It's still early, but the Denver Broncos might have an obvious decision in front of them in the middle of their offensive line.