The Denver Broncos are again projected to field the same exact starting offensive line for the third year in a row, as all of Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, and Mike McGlinchey have been together since the start of the 2024 NFL Season.
And all but Wattenberg have been starting since 2023 for the Broncos. If nothing else, Wattenberg was on the team, so he was still in the room. The amount of chemistry that Denver has along the offensive line is really something special.
Two of the very first moves that Sean Payton made when he arrived in Denver back in 2023 was to throw four and five-year deals at Powers and McGlinchey, and both players are suddenly entering the final years of their deals, with one of them clearly being put on notice after a pair of underrated offseason moves.
Denver Broncos clearly planned for life after Ben Powers with multiple offseason moves
The Broncos recently extended Bolles, Wattenberg, and Meinerz, so there's reason to believe that those three starters are entrenched for years to come. Even with Bolles getting up there in age, he seems to be getting better as he gets older.
There really isn't any reason to believe that he won't again be excellent in 2026, and that is reflected in the Broncos not really beginning any sort of replacement play for him. Wattenberg got an extension during the season and has turned into one of the more steadier starting centers in the league.
Meinerz is the best guard in the NFL and still right in the middle of his prime, so there's no reason to believe that the Broncos have any intention of replacing him unless his play begins to decline. As for McGlinchey, he's given the Broncos some much-needed stability on the right side of the offensive line and is under contract through the 2027 NFL Season.
However, that does leave Powers, as the other four are all under contract beyond 2026. The veteran guard signed from the Baltimore Ravens back in 2023 and suffered a biceps injury last year. He missed about two months, and during that stretch, Alex Palczewski filled in quite nicely.
The Broncos re-upped "Palcho" on a two-year deal, and in the 2026 NFL Draft, took Boise State tackle Kage Casey, a player with length concerns who could have a future along the interior. Suddenly, the Broncos have two potential left guard replacements for Powers.
And it's not that Powers isn't good - the Broncos clearly valued him when they extended a four-year contract offer to him worth over $50 million, but it's clear that the end could be near. Powers has been solid for the Broncos, but really nothing spectacular.
Missing about half the season last year also surely didn't help his case. The one thing that could help his case, though, is that Denver hasn't had any issue spending big-time along the offensive line, and there could always be a chance that neither Casey nor Palczewski is 'ready' to take over a starting spot.
What could be the most likely, though, is that one of those younger players is ready to step into a potentially vacant left guard spot if the Broncos elect to not re-sign Powers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google