Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz has managed to keep drawing attention, and not in the way an offensive lineman wants.
After already being fined for his part in a dice-rolling touchdown celebration - his explanation was that it was Yahtzee - Meinerz has now been hit again. This time, the punishment came after he posted notice of his drug test following what was described as him “manhandled” Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald in Denver’s 30-26 win in Week 3, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The new fine is set at $15,000, per Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, and Meinerz plans to appeal it.
The issue is social media itself. Florio reported that any posting of video or photography of any part of the “collection process” is barred by policy, which is the basis for the fine. The official language runs longer than that, but that’s the core of it.
For a player in the trenches, posting anything like this is unusual enough. Posting something this pointed is another level. The Broncos won’t face the Rams again unless both teams end up meeting in the Super Bowl, and both clubs are sitting third in their divisions at .500.
There’s also the obvious football side of it. Linemen trade blows, get flattened, and get manhandled all the time, and some of that contact leads to serious injuries. By putting this out there, Meinerz leaves himself open to whatever response might come later, even if it never shows up on a stat sheet.
And it’s not the kind of distraction Sean Payton likely wants right now. Denver’s sluggish play has already led him to take back playcalling duties from new offensive play caller Davis Webb, and the Broncos’ offense has not exactly been humming.
The timing makes it worse, too. The Broncos won a tight game that ended with safety Talanoa Hufanga intercepting a ball at the goal line, and a post like this can make an already awkward situation look even messier.
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Sean Payton Carries An Uncomfortable History Into Chargers Showdown
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For Denver, the interest goes beyond the sideline chess match. The Broncos have leaned most heavily on a defense that has been the most dependable part of the roster, which only adds to the pressure on Payton to find answers on offense against a familiar opponent. It is the kind of game that can say a lot about where a team is headed, even before the final score tells the rest of the story. [Read more 🡒]