3 Denver Broncos entering make or break years in 2023
By Jack Ramsey
2) Garett Bolles, offensive tackle
Bolles, now one of the longest-tenured Broncos, is in arguably the largest make-or-break year on the Broncos' offensive line. Bolles struggled for his first few years in Denver, but a few high-level years landed him a large new contract in Denver, just to break his leg early in 2022 and miss the entire season.
Bolles is starting to get up there in age, entering the 2023 season at age 31. If the Broncos decide to move on from Bolles after 2023, the team could save $12 million on the cap for 2024, and then $16 million on 2024.
Clearly, there is some financial motive for the Broncos to start fresh at left tackle in the near future. Bolles's increasing age, large financial obligation, and history of injuries are all working against the long-time Bronco. While the Broncos may have the richest owners in sports, they still need to work within the parameters of the salary cap.
They could pursue converting a large number of his cap hit into a bonus, but there is no guarantee and the player has no obligation to do so. The contract he signed is what he is entitled to. However, a contract conversion could keep both parties happy for a few more years.