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Sep 29, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates with Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sean Payton Stands Up for Broncos’ Under-Fire Center Luke Wattenberg

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos seem to have a problem on the offensive line. Specifially, fourth-year center Luke Wattenberg has struggled this year, and is coming off a Week 4 performance where he was penalized a whopping five times, though not all of them were enforced.

Wattenberg has been under fire from Broncos Country for most of this season. Even many voices in the media and blog-o-sphere are starting to wonder what other options exist for the Broncos besides Wattenberg, including our Thomas Hall, who recently advocated for the Broncos to trade for Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy of the New Orleans Saints.

However, Broncos head coach Sean Payton doesn't seem to be sharing a brain. He went to bat for his embattled center on Thursday, defending Wattenberg at the podium at Broncos HQ after he was penalized profusely on Monday Night Football.

“I’m going to come to his defense because there were a handful…," Payton said of Wattenberg's penalties. "We never sent it into the league, but there were a few of them that if you guys watched the tape, he’s been playing well. There are a couple we can clean up ourselves, being downfield on a screen or whatnot, but he’s playing well.”

Wattenberg's Grades

Far be it from me to lean on Pro Football Focus' grading system for any meaningful insights, but Wattenberg currently ranks as the No. 27 center in the NFL, with a 56.4 grade. It's a different grading system altogether, but our Erick Trickel, whose approach to grading players stretches back a decade, has Wattenberg with a 41.6 grade at the quarter pole of the season.

In Trickel's grades, the starting point is a 50.0 grade. On each snap, a player's grade either rises or falls from there. There's more nuance to Trickel's grading system, but that's the gist of it.

"Wattenberg ranks in the bottom six for centers in most metrics," Trickel wrote. "There used to be a strength in pass protection for him, but he has struggled in this area and has shown no improvement as a run blocker."

Broncos' Options at Center

Beyond trading for an upgrade, what are the Broncos' options at center? Well, for now, the plan is to close ranks around Wattenberg, and stick with him as the starter. However, it is a short week, so few teams make changes to the starting lineup without a full slate of days to prepare.

If the Broncos were to make a change, though, they have a guy with some experience already in Alex Forsyth, who spelled Wattenberg for a few games last year. Forsyth was also a Payton draft pick in 2023 and has a long history with quarterback Bo Nix, playing together at Oregon in 2022.

Wattenberg is in a contract year. Payton is defending him publicly, but if Wattenberg doesn't step it up, he could face a similar fate as Lloyd Cushenberry III, which wouldn't be the worst thing, at the end of the day.

Cushenberry failed to thrive in his contract year in Denver back in 2023, and the Broncos let him walk. He signed a lucrative extension with the Tennessee Titans in March of 2024. He's currently PFF's 30th-ranked center.

That seems to be the direction this thing is tracking toward at the moment. However, the Broncos really like Wattenberg and want him to succeed. There's still plenty of time for him to turn it around and garner a fat second contract from the Broncos.

If he doesn't, though, it wouldn't be a complete shock to see the Broncos make a change at center. Wattenberg has been that bad, despite what Payton says, and the Broncos have a guy they handpicked and developed alongside him waiting in the wings.

As it stands, the Broncos have the fifth-ranked rushing offense and have surrendered the fewest sacks in the NFL through four games (three). The question is whether that's because of Wattenberg or in spite of him.