ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The naming of alternates to the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games is as much about recognizing additional players as it is creating a list of replacements at various positions.
But to Quinn Meinerz, that so-called recognition, given to the Broncos’ right guard at the end of last season, was a painful barb.
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“I think I might have focused a little bit too much on that last year, of being a Pro Bowl player, and almost feeling kind of let down, in a sense,” Meinerz said. “That’s not necessarily where I’m focused at anymore. That’s an individual thing that will happen as a byproduct of playing well, being consistent. At the end of the day, the thing that matters to me most is postseason football.”
It’s something Meinerz hasn’t experienced since joining the Broncos as a third-round pick in 2021. Since then, he’s blossomed into one of the NFL’s top right guards, even if he doesn’t yet have a Pro Bowl or All-Pro award to show for it. Meinerz allowed the fifth-fewest pressures (23) and tied for the sixth-fewest sacks (two) among 31 guards with at least 1,000 pass-blocking snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He was even better at paving holes in the run game, finishing with the second-highest PFF run-blocking grade among all players at his position. His overall grade of 83.7 was third among all guards, trailing only Kevin Dotson of the Rams and Pro Bowl selection Chris Lindstrom of the Falcons.
“Certainly, he’s a powerful, sticky run blocker. He does a lot of things extremely well,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “I think he loves it. He loves the process, which is half the battle. So I love that he’s our right guard.”
Meinerz credits that process for the year-over-year growth that has helped him become an integral figure within Denver’s offense. It begins with a mix of meditation and visualization. Meinerz dresses for practices early then sits at his locker and begins to paint a picture of the workout to come. He names the three things he wants to get better at in the upcoming session and then visualizes how he can execute those disciplines — first during individual periods and then “putting them on tape” during the full-team practice.
“It (presents) an opportunity to see development in myself, not only mentally but physically,” Meinerz said. “It’s been a fun process to really learn the game of football, and I’m really excited with where I’m at.”
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The importance of Meinerz’s role as he enters the final season of his rookie contract is magnified by new sets of cleats that will line up near him when the season begins. The Broncos will have a new center after four-year starter Lloyd Cushenberry left in free agency. They also will have a new starting quarterback, perhaps even a rookie signal-caller in Bo Nix. Meinerz and Denver’s first-string offensive line rotated with all three competitors for those positions — Alex Forsyth, Luke Wattenberg and Sam Mustipher at center; Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson at quarterback — during the offseason, and that format will continue, to some degree, at the outset of training camp when it begins in late July.
“Those guys are all competing and doing great every day, and it’s been really fun to be a part of that,” Meinerz said. “We’ve got three great quarterbacks and three great centers, and they’re all competing for their jobs. Come training camp, it’ll be really interesting to see what happens.”
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The fluctuation at those positions underscores the burden Meinerz and the other four veteran starters on the offensive line — left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey — will be carrying into the season. Whoever starts at quarterback will enter the year with little or no game experience in Payton’s system. There are new faces in the backfield, including rookie fifth-round pick Audric Estimé. There are three new wide receivers. A potential first-time starting tight end in Lucas Krull.
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The continuity resides with Meinerz and the offensive line, which is entering its second season under highly regarded position coach Zach Strief. The Broncos’ hopes of exceeding tempered outside expectations hinge on this group setting a firm foundation.
“To have the same language, the same plays, the same blocks I’m expected to do … knowing what the system is, it’s been great,” Meinerz said. “Our practices, you can feel it and see it that everyone is getting up on the ball, getting off on the snap. This isn’t necessarily about the physical nature of the game. It’s about knowing your assignment, your first two steps, the initial contact. I feel like we’re in a good spot.”
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Payton has made one of his biggest offensive priorities for this season clear: the Broncos must take fewer sacks than they did in 2023. Denver ranked 27th in sacks allowed (52) and 28th in pressure rate allowed (41 percent), according to TruMedia. A quicker release from the quarterback will go a long way in reversing those numbers. The Broncos, who started Russell Wilson in 15 of the team’s 17 games, averaged 3.09 seconds from snap to throw, which was slower than all but three other teams. The 35-year-old Wilson’s struggle to navigate the rush, particularly during Denver’s late-season slide, was part of the reason the Broncos decided to release Wilson in March and eat $85 million in dead money across two seasons.
“No. 1, we can’t take as many sacks,” Payton said when asked how the Broncos can score more efficiently this season. “If you looked at any of the data relative to what it does for your drives, I think that was a big thing that hurt us a year ago.”
The Broncos drafted a quarterback in Nix who has demonstrated an ability and a willingness, just as importantly, to get rid of the ball quickly. He’s comfortable with a heavy diet of short throws and small profits, a coach’s son whose aversion to negative plays led him to take only five sacks while throwing three interceptions during his final season at Oregon in 2023. Still, there will be “high-dive” moments, as Payton calls them, for Nix or whoever else starts at quarterback. The third-and-7 plays late in a close game when a pass to the flat won’t cut it.
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The Broncos expect their veteran offensive line to be a calming presence in those moments. They have made a big investment into that group since Payton arrived and Meinerz could be the next member of that unit to cash in on a lucrative, multiyear contract. The Broncos will go as their experienced group up front goes, no matter who is taking the snaps behind it.
“The biggest thing for our offensive line is having our continuity,” Meinerz said. “Because when we’re all going together, then things are going well for our offense.”
(Photo: Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)
