Denver, CO

Here’s Why Garett Bolles’ Days as a Bronco Could be Numbered

Published

2 years ago

May 19, 2024

Here’s Why Garett Bolles’ Days as a Bronco Could be Numbered

The Denver Broncos have a few players with expiring contracts after the 2024 season. While the Broncos should be in a better position as far as the salary cap goes, they won’t be able to keep everyone.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to examine some of the Broncos players who are in the final year of their contracts and might be under consideration for a new deal. While not everyone I will discuss will get extended, they’re the team’s top candidates for a multi-year deal.

For each player, I will look at the arguments for and against extending the player, then consider what may matter the most to the Broncos when it comes to an extension.

We’ll continue this series with left tackle Garett Bolles.

Bolles, a 2017 first-round pick, has become the most consistent performer on the Broncos’ offensive line since 2019. Though his first two seasons were rough, mainly because of penalties, he reduced those flags over time and improved as a pass protector, while remaining consistent as a quality run blocker.

Bolles suffered a broken leg in 2022 but came back with a quality season in 2023. While there had been rumors that he might be traded, it never came to pass and Bolles demonstrated he could still play well.

We have seen other cases of offensive tackle who have been able to play for many years, proving they’re deserving of a third contract. One need only look at somebody like Andrew Whitworth, who played at a high level, even getting Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro awards, well into his mid-30s.

While it’s true that somebody like Quinn Meinerz is younger, it’s not difficult to find offensive guards in the draft. But when you have a quality offensive tackle, he can be difficult to replace. It would be better to commit money to Bolles than to Meinerz.

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There is no guarantee that Bolles will continue to play well beyond 2024. While there are examples of offensive tackles who have played for multiple seasons at a high level, others have declined markedly once they hit their mid-30s.

Bolles may be a good offensive tackle but he’s not an elite player. There may be an argument for keeping an elite offensive tackle around but if said tackle is good but not elite, it won’t be as difficult to replace him.

Meinerz may not play a premium position but he is a younger player with more upside. It’s better to pay the younger player with upside than to play the older player who may be good, but whose decline could come at any moment.

Finally, there is no guarantee that the Broncos will be able to keep Bolles at a reasonable cost. The top offensive tackles average at least $20 million per year. Is that the amount the Broncos should pay to a player who will be 33 years old in 2025?

What leads to an extension likely depends on two factors: How many years the Broncos believe Bolles has left in the tank before his play declines and how much money he wants in a new contract.

Bolles could be in line to seek an extension similar to what Dion Dawkins got from the Buffalo Bills, who gave him a three-year, $60.02M deal through 2029. Though Dawkins had three years left on his previous contract, the amount committed may represent what Bolles would get in an extension.

With that said, the Broncos also have to ask themselves about an extension for Bolles compared to other players, particularly Meinerz. It’s possible the Broncos could keep both, of course, but for now, fans should operate under the assumption that one of Meinerz or Bolles could be extended while the other will be allowed to leave after 2024, and later replaced through the draft.

There’s only so much cash and cap space to go around, after all.

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Denver, CO

What drivers will face traveling into mountains near Denver on I-70 amid Floyd Hill bridge building

Published

10 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

What drivers will face traveling into mountains near Denver on I-70 amid Floyd Hill bridge building

Drivers heading west from metro Denver into the mountains on Interstate 70 on Monday and Tuesday face overnight closures, and 20-minute stops through Thursday at the base of Floyd Hill, the latest traffic disruptions for bridge building as part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s $800 million reconstruction of I-70 through Clear Creek Canyon.

The nighttime closures this week, scheduled from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., are planned around the I-70/U.S. 6 interchange at exit 244 and include on- and off-ramps.

Drivers also should expect to wait at 20-minute stops multiple times per day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on I-70 starting Monday, and continuing through Thursday, according to a CDOT notice.

But officials said there would be no planned traffic disruptions during the holidays from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5.

CDOT contractors will be blasting rock in the canyon above eastbound and westbound I-70 between the Veterans Memorial Tunnels and the Homestead Road interchange near Idaho Springs. And drivers may face intermittent traffic stops along the Central City Parkway, County Road 314, U.S. 6, and U.S. 40, CDOT officials said.

CDOT contractors are building a temporary framework to support their upcoming construction of a concrete bridge on I-70. When it’s done, the bridge will carry westbound drivers through a new route that CDOT officials say will be safer and improve traffic flows through the canyon, which long has loomed as a bottleneck.

The rebuilt highway, with an added westbound express toll lane, eventually will carry drivers through a widened canyon on viaducts 115 feet above Clear Creek. This safer route, designed to improve visibility for drivers, is expected to allow speeds of 55 miles per hour in areas now marked 45 mph.

Depending on the weather this week, disruptive construction work may shift to Wednesday and Thursday, CDOT officials said.

The I-70 Floyd Hill Project involves about eight miles of I-70 in the mountainous area between Evergreen and the eastern edge of Idaho Springs. CDOT officials have promised that, as part of the project, they’ll improve the Clear Creek Greenway trail and ensure safer routes for wildlife.

Construction began in July 2023. The project is expected to conclude in 2029.

Drivers learn more by calling CDOT at 720-994-2368 or by texting floydhill to 21000 and signing up for text alerts. CDOT officials also said information about weather, road conditions, and travel impacts is available at COtrip.org.

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Denver, CO

Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?

Published

22 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?

The Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) dropped from first to second in the NFC North and from the second seed to the seventh seed in the NFC after losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Significant injuries suffered against the Broncos will mean lasting implications are felt past Sunday. The Packers are also now a long shot to catch the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and it’ll take a win next Saturday night in Chicago to retake control in the NFC North.

But the Packers are still in a good spot in terms of making the postseason field, especially after the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys all lost on Sunday.

NFC playoff picture after Week 15

Los Angeles Rams (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
Chicago Bears (10-4, 6-3 vs. NFC)
Philadelphia Eagles (9-5, 7-3 vs. NFC)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 5-5 vs. NFC)
Seattle Seahawks (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 8-2 vs. NFC)
Green Bay Packers (9-4-1, 7-2-1 vs. NFC)

Others: Lions (8-6), Panthers (7-7), Cowboys (6-7-1)

According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, the Packers have a 92 percent chance of making the postseason with three weeks to go. They become all but guaranteed of a playoff spot if they can beat the Bears in Chicago in Week 16. In fact, just one win over the final three weeks could be enough for the Packers to get in.

The NFC North winner looks like a coinflip. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers a 48 percent chance of winning the division right now, and it would go up to 82 percent with a win over the Bears on Saturday. Chicago took down the Cleveland Browns with ease in bitter cold temps at Soldier Field on Sunday.

The Athletic’s model also gives the Packers a 98 percent chance of being the No. 2 seed if Matt LaFleur’s team can win out. That will be much easier said than done without Micah Parsons (and potentially Christian Watson) down the stretch.

Two very possibilities for the Packers: Win the NFC North and host the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round, or get in as the No. 7 seed and go to Chicago to play the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round. A third round of the rivalry is increasingly possible in January.

Packers remaining games

Nothing easy here. The Bears, Ravens and Vikings all won Sunday. The Bears and Ravens won comfortably; the Vikings upset the Cowboys — who desperately needed to win — in Dallas. The Bears and Ravens are both playing to win division titles. The Vikings are a dangerously talented spoiler team, and winning at U.S. Bank Stadium is never easy. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers roughly a 40 percent chance of making the postseason even with an 0-3 finish. The Lions are the biggest threat to pass the Packers in the event they finish 0-3.

It appears the Packers can clinch a playoff spot next week with a win over the Bears and a Steelers win over the Lions.

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Denver, CO

Packers vs. Broncos Week 15 Game Discussion Thread

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Packers vs. Broncos Week 15 Game Discussion Thread

It’s time for the AFC’s #1 team to meet the NFC’s #2. Today the Denver Broncos host the Green Bay Packers in a key late-season inter-conference matchup that could have playoff seeding implications for both teams.

In Denver, the Broncos will be trying to hold on to the top spot in the AFC and keep their impressive win streak rolling. Denver has won ten straight games, some of them in fairly ridiculous fashion, but they sit at 11-2, sharing the top record in the NFL with the New England Patriots, who are just behind them in the playoff picture based on conference record.

The Packers, meanwhile, want to hold on to the lead in the NFC North before they have their rematch with the Chicago Bears next Saturday night. Green Bay sits behind only the Los Angeles Rams in the playoff race in the NFC, and they want to return to the Central time zone with that lead intact.

Join us here at Acme Packing Company to discuss today’s game, and Go Pack Go!

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