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Sep 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears offensive lineman Cody Whitehair (65) blocks against the Houston Texans at Soldier Field. Chicago defeated Houston 23-20. Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Broncos' LG Problem: A Few Options Available on the Free-Agent Market

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI | By Bob Morris | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos came away with a win over the New York Jets in London, though it wasn't pretty. It was clear how much the Broncos missed left guard Ben Powers.

Powers played through a biceps injury against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 and is now on injured reserve. He is expected to miss two months.

Matt Peart stepped into the lineup and wasn't good. Peart was solid as a swing tackle last season, but he struggled as a guard against the Jets, perhaps in part because he was playing out of position.

The Broncos need to find some help at offensive guard, given Peart's struggles against a Jets team that has quality interior defenders. While another guard may not be available to help out immediately, the Broncos need one to at least add to the practice squad and get him up to speed over a couple of weeks.

While there aren't a lot of options in free agency, it doesn't hurt to look. Let's examine some available veterans and whether they make sense to add.

Veterans With Lots of Starting Experience

Shaq Mason
Mark Glowinski
Cody Whitehair

These three offensive guards are currently unrestricted free agents and have made at least 100 starts, though they've yet to sign with another team. Mason is a 10-year veteran who has 147 career starts. Unfortunately, he was arrested back in August on charges of aggravated assault, burglary, harassment, and driving with a suspended license. Those off-field issues mean he's not an option.

Whitehair has 121 career starts in nine seasons, having spent most of his career with the Chicago Bears, but he played with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He has started at both center and left guard, so he might be worth a look.

Glowinski has 101 career starts in 10 seasons, having played for the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Giants. He spent a lot of time last season on the Colts' practice squad. While not as attractive an option as Whitehair might be, one shouldn't rule Glowinski out.

Younger Players With Fewer Starts

Jack Anderson
Jack Driscoll
Carter O'Donnell

Anderson first played in the NFL in 2021, having been drafted by the Buffalo Bills that year, but he was waived. He then spent time with the Eagles, Giants, and Colts. Anderson later signed with the Carolina Panthers, then the Dallas Cowboys, but never played a snap for them.

Driscoll played for the Eagles the past five years, but was placed on injured reserve toward the end of the 2024 season and he wasn't brought back as a free agent. Still, Driscoll started nine games at right guard in 2021, though he's mostly played as an extra lineman otherwise.

O'Donnell entered the NFL in 2020 and spent three seasons on the Colts' practice squad, then was claimed off waivers in 2023 by the Arizona Cardinals. However, he only played a handful of games before going on injured reserve in the 2024 offseason.

With players like these three, you're signing them with the hopes that they can learn quickly and acclimate to the Broncos' system. However, if they ever were to start, they would likely need more time before entering the lineup.

Retired Players

Brandon Scherff
Jon Feliciano

There are two other offensive guards whose names might come up, but both retired after the 2024 season. Still, perhaps they could be coaxed out of retirement for a shot at the playoffs.

One of those players is Scherff, who had 140 career starts in 10 seasons with the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars. His deal with the Jaguars expired after the 2024 season.

The other player is Feliciano, who spent nine seasons in the NFL and started 61 games, most recently with the San Francisco 49ers. As with Scherff, Feliciano's deal expired after the 2024 season.

Because their previous deals expired, they are free to sign with any team. However, that they both retired would indicate you'd have to do quite a sell job to get them to return.

Bottom Line

If the Broncos are going to add a veteran in free agency, from a practical standpoint, it's either Whitehair or Glowinski. Mason would have been an option, but the charges he faces rule him out.

Otherwise, the available options out there are players who don't have a lot of starting experience, but have the benefit of being younger guys who might give you depth for the long term. But while more depth is always a good thing, it's not a comfort if you want starting help sooner rather than later.

Of course, a trade could be an option, but that requires finding a team that is willing to trade someone. I've mentioned that position as one the Broncos might want to acquire in a trade and, after Peart's poor outing against the Jets, the team may need to think more about that.

The Broncos could still try an in-house option by moving Luke Wattenberg to guard and starting Matt Forsyth at center. Wattenberg has experience at guard, and while he's not a great player, he would at least be a better option than Peart.

We'll see what the Broncos do to address the position, but with free agency, the pickings are slim.

This article first appeared on Denver Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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