Entering the 2026 season, the Denver Broncos have one of the best -- and deepest -- offensive lines in the entire NFL.
The Broncos' starting five has been together for three seasons at this point, and everyone but center Luke Wattenberg has been together for four seasons. The depth on the line is enviable with players like Alex Palczewski, Alex Forsyth, and Frank Crum playing key roles over the last two seasons.
The Broncos have given former New York Giants 3rd-round pick Matt Peart a chance to be part of that depth. Peart was signed in free agency during the 2024 offseason, then somewhat surprisingly re-signed to a two-year deal in the 2025 offseason. When Peart got his opportunity to play in relief of the injured Ben Powers in 2025, it did not go well.
Even though Peart himself was playing hurt during the game, his penalties cost the offense tremendously, and he looked just as rusty in his first preseason action of 2026. As far as reclamation projects/experiments go, time is running out on Peart's opportunity with the Broncos.
Matt Peart's time with the Denver Broncos is likely reaching a conclusion
Interestingly enough, Peart was the first man up at left tackle behind Garett Bolles for the Broncos in their preseason opener vs. Atlanta. That was a bit of a head scratcher considering the team has been grooming Frank Crum for the past handful of years.
When Peart was on the field, he had a brutal false start penalty on 4th-and-3, pushing the Broncos' offense back five yards and forcing them to kick a field goal instead of going for it to extend the drive.
On a field goal attempt, Peart apparently didn't realize he was supposed to be on the field, and his tardiness caused a rushed operation as the play clock was winding down. Wil Lutz missed the field goal attempt, and Sean Payton was visibly upset with Peart on the sideline afterward.
Even though Peart might have more natural ability on the left side compared to someone like backup right tackle Alex Palczewski, it's hard to see any scenario where the Broncos could rely on him for an extended period of time. The team views 4th-round pick Kage Casey as a future starter at the guard position, but even he would be a preferable option given his 40-plus starts at the college level as a left tackle.
If Peart was a reclamation project for the Broncos, the time is drawing near for them to scrap it. Peart has already agreed to a pay reduction this year, which may be writing on the wall for his time with the team.
If he has another game like we saw against Atlanta in the preseason, he might be among the first ones out the door.
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