Broncos HC Addresses Offensive Starter Missing Two Straight Practices

The Denver Broncos know what their starting offensive line will be and which players will comprise it, but they're working on determining their depth. On Friday, the first official day of training camp, the Broncos gained some deeper insight into one of their backups, as starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey was not in attendance at practice. 

Friday marked the second straight practice McGlinchey has missed, and afterward, head coach Sean Payton addressed the starter's absence.

“He should be returning, I’m going to say, either tomorrow or Monday," Payton said. "We’ll keep you posted. No announcements.”

Payton absolutely loathes talking about injuries or player absences, even if they have nothing to do with injuries. At this stage, there's no need for worry.

Palczewski Steps In at RT

Even though Payton didn’t specify his absence, he did say McGlinchey should be back either Saturday or Monday, which will be a padded practice. In McGlinchey's stead, Alex Palczewski took the first-team reps. 

Palczewski could use the reps. Denver played him during the regular season last year when McGlinchey missed some time due to an injury. While Palczewski performed admirably, he clearly wasn't ready to be a full-time tackle and might be better suited to work inside as a guard. 

If Palczewski can improve on his tackle chops, it would be a great development for the Broncos, especially if they want to get cheaper on the offensive line after this season. Either way, McGlinchey has had issues staying healthy during the season, so the Broncos need Palczewski to be ready to step in when required. 

So, even though it isn’t clear why McGlinchey has missed the past two practices, the Broncos got a chance to see Palczewski with the starting unit. The whole offensive line seemed to struggle on Friday, as Bo Nix dealt with consistent pressure from the defense. 

A Versatile Skill Set

With the Broncos turning to Palczewski instead of Matt Peart, Frank Crum, or someone else, they make their pecking order clear. Palczewski is the backup right tackle, at least for now, despite the talk that they prefer him as a guard, which began during last year's training camp. 

If the Broncos are betting on Palczewski's versatility to backup both spots, that could help when it comes down to creating the 53-man roster. Injuries can happen anytime, and the Broncos' guards are just as vulnerable as the tackles are.

The Broncos could use Palczewski as the backup right tackle or a backup guard. If a situation ever arises where they need to fill a guard spot along with right tackle, they'll likely go with another interior option and keep Palczewski as a tackle. 

McGlinchey's Contract

The bigger question is whether Palczewski can show enough to make the Broncos comfortable with moving on from McGlinchey after the 2025 season. The Broncos have one of the most expensive offensive lines in the NFL, and while McGlinchey has been good, it's a stretch to say he's been worth his contract. 

The Broncos are in a decent spot overall with the salary cap next year, and while you don’t want consistent changes to the offensive line, they always have to look at ways to get younger and cheaper. That could put McGlinchey at risk post-2025 — if Palczewski shows up enough. 

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For now, Palczewski needs to focus on improving so that he can answer the bell whenever called upon, while showing enough to potentially earn a starting role either next year or the year after.