The Denver Broncos recently extended kicker Wil Lutz in what appeared to be an easy decision to make. Lutz has been clutch for the Broncos, now in his third year. He's made nearly 90% of his field goals and has kicked three walk-off winners this year.
While Lutz does not have the biggest leg, he's one of the better kickers in the league and now belongs to the Broncos through the 2028 NFL Season, at least. The Broncos also have some other 2026 free agents who could get new deals.
The most popular name among Broncos fans seems to be John Franklin-Myers, but it doesn't appear like he is going to get a deal. Well, after Lutz, it seems like Denver wants to keep their foot on the gas and get some more extensions done. They have reportedly engaged in preliminary talks with a very unexpected player.
Mike Klis reports that the Broncos have had 'preliminary' talks' with Luke Wattenberg
Luke Wattenberg, Denver's starting center and a fourth-year player, seems to be getting the attention of the Broncos' front office:
Sean Payton said #Broncos reached out to other players besides Wil Lutz on possible new contracts over bye. Per multiple sources, there were also preliminary talks with C Luke Wattenberg and DL Malcolm Roach. Both UFAs in March. Wattenberg would maintain offensive line… https://t.co/J8yChB1qXM
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) November 25, 2025
The center free agent market isn't bad, but it's not super deep. The top free agents at the position in 2026 include Tyler Linderbaum, Ethan Pocic, Josh Myers, and perhaps Wattenberg. It seems like Denver is buying into Wattenberg beyond 2025, which is interesting.
He's now in his second year as a starter in the NFL, and in 2024, emerged as an average player at the position. The thing with Wattenberg is that he's among the best pass-blocking centers in the NFL, but leaves a lot to be desired as a run blocker.
Wattenberg has helped Denver field, arguably, the NFL's best offensive line these past two seasons, but he is obviously the weakest link. According to PFF, though, he seems to be having a decent season. He ranks 12th in the league among centers in both pass and run blocking with 65.5 and 68.4 grades.
At best, Luke Wattenberg is an average starter, and I guess that might be enough for the Denver Broncos. A huge reason why they could do this is that they'd maintain offensive line continuity. If Wattenberg returned in 2026 and there were no other changes, the Broncos would field the same starting five for the third year in a row, and return four of five starters for the fourth year in a row.
That has to be some sort of record if it holds up, and Sean Payton does have a lengthy history of investing into the trenches, so I suppose an extension for Wattenberg makes a little bit of sense.