Broncos OT Garett Bolles Leads the NFL in Crucial Blocking Metric

Definitely Not the Problem

At least one player on the Broncos' O-line is playing at a high level. Bolles' book-end counterpart, Mike McGlinchey, has been solid but unspectacular. McGlinchey had a particularly rough game as a run blocker in L.A. last Sunday.

Alas, the play Denver has gotten from its interior trio — Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, and Quinn Meinerz — has been woeful. The triumvirate has been lackluster on the ground, and it has allowed way too much pressure on quarterback Bo Nix.

Earning That Extension

Meanwhile, Bolles has done an excellent job thus far. Back in December, the Broncos signed him to a four-year, $82 million contract extension — his third with the team since being drafted in the first round back in 2017.

At 33 years old, Bolles hopes to play long enough to earn one more multi-year contract beyond the one he's now playing on.

“Well, hopefully I can do one more. That’s my goal. (Laughs)," Bolles said back in July. "We can talk about that later. I’m just grateful to be here. This organization has given me everything. This state has given me everything. The fanbase, the love I have for all my teammates."

Bolles is now the longest-tenured player on the Broncos' roster. He's the elder statesman of the locker room, and that's taken some getting used to.

"Being the old guy, it feels weird. I remember a couple years ago when I was talking to [former Broncos OLB] Von [Miller] and we discussed about me being here a long time. Now it just feels so weird being that guy, but I’m just super grateful," Bolles said.

Football Resilience

What's perhaps most amazing about Bolles' career trajectory is that he has survived multiple front-office and coaching regimes. Drafted by the John Elway-led front office in 2017, Bolles was initially coached by then-head coach Vance Joseph.

Bolles played through Joseph, Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett, and now Sean Payton. In 2021, Elway stepped down as general manager, hiring George Paton to succeed him, and Bolles has not only survived this tumult, but he's thrived.

That resilience stretches from the football field all the way into Bolles' personal life. He had a rough upbringing but still managed to straighten his life up, go on a two-year LDS mission, make it to Division I football, and get drafted in the first round. The rest, as we know, is history.

"I have an amazing coaching staff that believes in me. That’s all it takes. Once you believe in me, I’ll run through a wall for you," Bolles said. "I’m glad to be here. I don’t think too much about the future or anything like that. I just focus on the now and what that’s going to bring to me, and just get ready to protect [QB] Bo [Nix] as much as I can.”

The Takeaway

So far, so good, big fella. Nix has only been sacked three times, the second-fewest in the NFL. Bolles' primary job is to be Nix's blindside protector, but didn't you notice that two of J.K. Dobbins' biggest runs in Week 3's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers went off the left side?

That's Bolles. Here's to hoping he can stay healthy and continue to provide top-shelf execution for the Broncos.

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Bolles was named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team in 2017 and beyond that, he's only garnered one career accolade: a 2020 second-team All-Pro nod. If he can sustain this level of play, perhaps he'll finally get the Pro Bowl recognition he deserves from his peers, especially if the Broncos can turn it around and win some ball games.