Report: Broncos Sign RG Quinn Meinerz to $80M Extension

A 39-game starter since 2021, Meinerz indisputably blossomed into Denver's best offensive lineman last season, finishing as the league's third-highest-rated guard among 79 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus' metrics. He, too, was graded as the top run-blocker across 1,038 total offensive snaps.

“I thought he had a really good year," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in June. "I remember when he came out [of college], and when a player [went] to the AFC, maybe you lose track a little bit. I thought he played exceptionally well. Certainly he’s a powerful, sticky run blocker. He does a lot of things extremely well. I think he loves it. He loves the process, which is half the battle. So I love that he’s our right guard.”

The franchise's "secret superstar" and most egregious 2023 Pro Bowl snub, Meinerz — who turns 26 in November — is the third Broncos starting lineman in the Payton regime to receive a massive financial investment, and the fourth to command a significant salary.

Last offseason, Denver shelled out a combined $139 million for right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers while also paying Garett Bolles top-ten left tackle money. Bolles is due to count a team-high $20 million against the club's salary cap in 2024, the final year of his contract.