Denver’s 2026 setup is built on familiarity, and Bo Nix sits right at the center of it.
The Broncos are set to open the year with 21 of their 22 projected starters back, and the offensive line will stay together for a third straight season. That kind of continuity has become a calling card, and no one represents it more clearly than Garett Bolles.
Bolles is the longest-tenured player on the roster, heading into his 10th season in Denver. He has piled up 133 career starts, which ranks fifth among offensive linemen in franchise history, and he added first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors last season. When he speaks, people inside the building listen.
So when Bolles offered his take on Nix - now entering his third season as the starter - and on Davis Webb, who is calling plays for the first time this fall, it landed with real weight. After Tuesday’s practice at Broncos Park, Bolles said Nix has "never changed from the minute he's stepped in this building," pointing to his approach, his rehab, and his calm under pressure.
Nix is working back from a broken ankle, but Bolles said there has been no noticeable change in the way the quarterback goes about his business. Bolles also came away impressed with Webb’s work through three preseason games, saying, "I love him," and adding that Webb "just brings that juice that we need."
The offensive line’s continuity did not come without a concession. Left guard Ben Powers agreed to restructure his contract and take a significant pay cut in order to remain in Denver for 2026. His 2025 season was a grind: a torn biceps knocked him out for nine games, and he finished the final five while dealing with a bad foot.
Bolles has spent more time next to Powers than any other left guard in his career, and he did not hide how much that has meant. He called himself "extremely grateful" for the partnership and said, "He makes my life so much easier," describing their job as a joint effort to keep each other protected.
The confidence in Nix is not limited to the locker room. Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said Wednesday at a USAA boot camp at the team facility that he is not worried about the ankle at all.
"I think we're going to see the same Bo we've seen," Plummer said, while praising Nix’s football IQ, pocket composure, and underrated ability to escape trouble. He also said he wants Nix to rely more on anticipation this season instead of trying to throw every pass with maximum velocity.
That optimism reached another familiar voice on television. On First Things First, former receiver Greg Jennings said he expects Nix, who is 26, to take another step and labeled Denver a real contender.
"Bo Nix, I think he'll take a jump," Jennings said.
Jennings also pointed to the return of running back J.K. Dobbins, who was playing well before an injury ended his season, as another meaningful lift. With so much of the roster staying in place, the Broncos’ aim has moved beyond simply hanging around.
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