The Broncos head into 2026 with an offensive line that looks like one of the league’s strengths, but that doesn’t mean every spot is locked in stone.
Denver’s projected starting five - Garett Bolles, Quinn Meinerz, Luke Wattenberg, Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey - brings both talent and familiarity. The Broncos see Bolles and Meinerz as two of the best players at their positions, and Wattenberg got a contract extension last November. That group has the look of a unit the team trusts.
Still, the Broncos have already shown they’re willing to keep testing the edges of that lineup. Powers’ biceps injury last season opened the door for a look elsewhere, and after Matt Peart got hurt in his first start, Denver moved to Alex Palczewski. The undrafted free agent held up well enough that the line didn’t take a step back, and the Broncos made one of their first offseason moves by giving “Palcho” a new deal.
That naturally puts Powers under the microscope. He has been a solid player for Denver, and before the Week 5 injury last season, he had not missed a start for the team. But Palczewski is younger and cheaper, which is exactly the kind of combination front offices like to lean into.
There’s also Kage Casey in the mix. Denver used a fourth-round pick on the Boise State product, and although he played tackle in college, the Broncos were lining him up at guard during rookie minicamp. That suggests the team may be thinking about him as a longer-term answer at the position.
Powers still has the résumé and the ability to keep the job. Nothing in this setup says a change is imminent. But the Broncos are clearly looking around, and if the guard spot shifts before the season or sometime during it, it would not be a shock.
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