HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

49ers Extended Offer To Bill Belichick; Cowboys, Eagles Still On Longtime HC’s Radar

July 24th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

At a few points during the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers showed interest in Tom Brady. One of those memorably included John Lynch asking about the then-Patriots quarterback and Bill Belichick quickly dismissing anything of the sort. With Brady now retired, the 49ers did turn their attention to his longtime head coach.

Famously going just 1-for-8 in terms of interviews with HC-needy teams this offseason, Belichick is set to sit out the year. He has booked multiple TV gigs — with the Manningcast and Inside the NFL — but remains interested in returning to the NFL in 2025. This will, however, be Belichick’s first season out of the NFL since 1974. Shanahan attempted to see if he could change that.

The 49ers extended an invitation for Belichick to join their staff in some capacity, giving the 24-year Patriots HC the option of choosing a role. It is unclear if this overture took place before the 49ers decided on Nick Sorensen as their DC, but Belichick undoubtedly could have held a key role with San Francisco’s defense had he sought one.

“I threw it all out to him, like whatever he’d want to do. I was like, would you be interested?” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami (subscription required). “He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down. He loves football so much that you never know what he would want.”

Belichick did memorably send Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers at the 2017 trade deadline, after having aimed to avoid trading Brady’s then-backup. The 49ers quickly accepted, sending a second-round pick to the Pats for a player who became their starting quarterback through the 2022 season. This mutually respectful relationship may again feature the two coaching against one another, but that will not come in 2024.

Only the Falcons interviewed Belichick for their HC job, though the Commanders spoke with the eight-time Super Bowl winner (two as a DC). The 49ers also had Steve Spagnuolo on their radar for the DC position, but the Chiefs quickly extended their standout defensive play-caller. Belichick, 72, has not held a non-HC or coordinator role in the NFL since 1996, when he served as the Pats’ DBs coach under Bill Parcells. He will still try for another chance at a top job in 2025, and the 49ers will almost definitely not be on his radar.

The NFC East continues to come up here, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during an appearance on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard (of the New York Daily News) Belichick would likely want the Eagles‘ job “in the worst way.” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also pointed to this being a fit, saying the Eagles would be the more likely destination compared to a Cowboys or Giants landing.

Philly and Dallas looked into Belichick this offseason but stuck with their existing HCs. Nick Sirianni may not have been all that close to the hot seat, but the Super Bowl HC hired new offensive and defensive coordinators. After a second-half collapse, Sirianni should not be considered especially safe going into his fourth season in charge. Mike McCarthy is famously on a lame-duck contract, which he admitted Wednesday (via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore) is “a challenge.”

The Giants also have not featured much patience post-Tom Coughlin, though their HCs in that span have given them little reason to stay the course. Two years after a Coach of the Year season, Brian Daboll has moved toward a hot seat. Belichick reuniting with the Giants would be a fascinating storyline, as he collected his first two rings as Parcells’ DC from 1985-90. But Big Blue may be transitioning at quarterback next year. The Cowboys and Eagles are closer to contention, and Fowler noted earlier this offseason the appeal these two teams — along with the Giants — would have for Belichick.

The 29-year HC veteran is a Howie Roseman fan as well, per Curran. Belichick was ready to cede some personnel control had he landed the Falcons gig. A partnership with the Eagles or Cowboys, where established front office hierarchies are in place, would not feature nearly the level of control Belichick held in New England.

With no NFL HC being hired past age 66, Belichick may only have one more offseason as a realistic candidate. His running ties to NFC East clubs stand to make the 2025 cycle one of the most memorable in modern NFL history.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon Tears ACL

July 24th, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings’ secondary suffered another blow today when second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Blackmon is likely lost for the year after only the first day of training camp for his sophomore campaign.

Kevin O’Connell later confirmed the tear and indicated the Vikings are discussing possible cornerback additions, though the third-year Minnesota HC noted the team still wants to see some of its in-house options attempt to fill the void, ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert tweets. Blackmon is now on IR.

Blackmon surpassed draft expectations last year going in the third round out of USC after being projected as a Day 3 pick. After starting cornerbacks Byron Murphy and Akayleb Evans, Blackmon was the third-most utilized cornerback on the Vikings defense last year, even earning three starts as a rookie as an injury replacement for Murphy and Evans. The USC-product was third on the team with eight passes defensed while tallying 41 total tackles and an interception, as well.

The Vikings’ cornerbacks group was set to enter 2024 with an impressive depth after the signing of free agent Shaquill Griffin. Griffin is set to lineup across from Murphy as the starting pair next year with Josh Metellus starting in the slot. Evans is available off the bench after starting all last year and was likely to be pushed by Blackmon for those first snaps coming off the bench.

The tragic loss of rookie fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson adds further to the loss in the room. Despite spending little time at slot in his rookie season, Blackmon and Jackson were both considered candidates to compete with Metellus for the starting nickelback job. With both players now unavailable, the Vikings signed veteran free agent Duke Shelley yesterday to add to the depleting depth at the position. Shelley reunites with the Vikings after spending last year in Los Angeles with the Rams. Back in 2022, Shelley started five games for Minnesota.

The team will also look to former second-round pick Andrew Booth, who has been a major disappointment so far over his first two seasons. The Clemson-product was facing questions of whether or not he would make the roster in 2024, but with the diminishing numbers in the room, Booth’s experience around the team may be too valuable to part with.

Blackmon’s year may be over before it began, as is Jackson’s NFL career, sadly, but the season doesn’t come to a stop just for Minnesota. The Vikings have addressed the position and may need to continue addressing the position. For now, they’ll try to squeeze every contribution out of their rostered players as possible to cover their losses.

Alvin Kamara Addresses Contract Push

July 24th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Operating as the NFL’s restructure standard bearers for years, the Saints have not touched Alvin Kamara‘s deal this offseason. The veteran running back’s contract, which the team adjusted multiple times since it was finalized in 2020, now looms as one that could generate significant savings for the perennially cap-strapped team come 2025.

No running back has been tied to a deal longer than Kamara, who saw the Bengals ship Joe Mixon (extended in September 2020) to the Texans and the Packers cut Aaron Jones (re-signed in March 2021). The 49ers redid Christian McCaffrey‘s contract this offseason, moving the reigning Offensive Player of the Year off the April 2020 extension that had not been topped. Kamara’s accord still sits second among RBs in terms of AAV, but the former Pro Bowler sees how this process will likely play out.

Kamara left minicamp a day early due to a pursuit of a new deal but reported to training camp on time. Elaborating on his stance Wednesday, the eighth-year RB said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) he is not asking for “anything crazy” terms-wise.

He does not have too much choice in the matter, but the former Sean Payton-era chess piece said (via NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill) he will play on his current contract if the Saints do not agree to adjust it. (Though, when asked to clarify that stance, Kamara was less definitive, per NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson.) The former third-round pick is not holding in, participating fully in New Orleans’ practice Wednesday.

Just ahead of Kamara’s fourth season, the Saints gave him a five-year, $75MM deal but one that included a phony final season — along the lines of the deals Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill would sign two years later — to inflate the AAV. Kamara’s deal no longer contains any guarantees, though as a vested veteran, he would see his 2024 base salary ($10.2MM) lock in just before Week 1. In 2025, however, the Saints could cut Kamara and save $18.9MM. Considering Mickey Loomis‘ operation is again projected to enter its own sector when it comes to cap hell — early OverTheCap projections have New Orleans $88MM-plus over next year, $40MM more than any other team — Kamara’s pact would be a natural place to turn for savings.

Kamara, who will turn 29 on Thursday, has been open to a restructure. The Saints went to that well in 2022 and 2023. Another restructure would put more dead money on future New Orleans caps, stripping the team of rare flexibility. The sides have not made progress here; Kamara confirmed as much today. The Saints will not pay Kamara his $22.4MM base salary in 2025, creating this staredown.

“I want to be a Saint; I want to retire here,” Kamara said, via Johnson. “If I’ve got to play football somewhere else, I’ll probably be somewhere with my feet kicked up in Africa somewhere. I want to be a Saint.”

Being tied to a non-rookie deal for five seasons is fairly rare territory for a modern running back, as Kamara has done well to collect most of the extension’s money. Opening his career with five straight Pro Bowls, Kamara has slowed down. Last year’s 1,160-yard output from scrimmage marked a career-low number, and the ex-Drew Brees sidekick produced the fourth-worst rushing yards over expected number (minus-99) last season. Kamara has missed 10 games — due to injury and his 2023 suspension — since 2021.

Barring a substantial pay-cut agreement for 2025, Kamara is likely going into his final season with the Saints. Battling uphill in his effort to land a new contract, Kamara can attempt to use this season as a bounce-back opportunity for what could be his final notable NFL deal next year.

QB Notes: Tua, Rodgers, Daniels, Steelers

July 24th, 2024 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tua Tagovailoa is not holding in, separating the Dolphins‘ top negotiation from multiple others around the NFL. This includes Jordan Love‘s Packers arrangement, which has become a hold-in situation. Despite Tagovailoa having a longer track record than Love, the fifth-year passer went through Dolphins workouts Wednesday. This did come with a notable exception. Tagovailoa took only two reps (both handoffs) in Dolphins team drills to open camp, per ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa’s camp workload — absent an extension — would compare to OTAs; the lefty did not go through team drills then or during minicamp. We heard Monday this would likely be the route Tagovailoa takes.

The Dolphins have been negotiating with Tua for months, and while some optimism has emerged, Miami’s QB1 has turned down at least one offer and may have seen the team dig in on a price south of Trevor Lawrence‘s $55MM-per-year deal. Lawrence receiving $142MM may also be much higher than the Dolphins want to go. McDaniel said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) both sides are “relentlessly” working on this agreement. The parties still have time to hammer out a deal before the season, but the longer this goes, the closer Tua comes to carrying a lofty franchise tag number (upwards of $40MM) on Miami’s 2025 cap sheet.

Here is the latest QB news coming out of training camp:

  • Aaron Rodgers confirmed a trip to Egypt indeed led to his missing minicamp and confirmed the Jets fined him for the unexcused absences. Rodgers has been criticized for a lack of leadership by skipping the offseason’s only mandatory workout, but he said his relationship with Robert Saleh has been unaffected. “I’m an adult; I knew what I was getting into,” Rodgers said, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt. I wish there hadn’t been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was.” Rodgers, who said be based the trip on the Jets’ 2023 offseason schedule, had shown up for OTAs prior to the abrupt — to the public, at least — departure.
  • Jayden Daniels does not have Commanders first-string reps to himself just yet; the No. 2 overall pick is splitting them with free agency addition Marcus Mariota, the Washington Post’s Sam Fortier notes. While Dan Quinn is labeling this a QB competition, Fortier cautions that Daniels is all but assured of the starting job. This follows a report that pointed to the Commanders indeed feeling no real reason to hold back the 2023 Heisman winner by giving Mariota bridge work.
  • Although the Daniels-Mariota split may deprive the highly touted rookie from early reps, Washington is holding an actual battle for the No. 3 spot. The team is pitting rookie UDFA Sam Hartman against veteran Jeff Driskel, Fortier adds. The former Notre Dame starter, who has a safety net via the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions’ recent draft choice, played behind Driskel to start camp. It is not yet clear if the Commanders plan to keep three QBs, but the winner of this battle would stand to at least be the team’s emergency option in the event only two are rostered.
  • Prior to the USFL and XFL merging, Ben DiNucci played in the former league’s second season and spent last year as the Broncos’ third-stringer. The recent Russell Wilson teammate worked out for the 13-year vet’s new team this week, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the Steelers brought in the veteran. Pittsburgh has Kyle Allen in place behind Wilson and Justin Fields presently.

Bengals To Give Amarius Mims ‘Every Opportunity’ To Beat Out Trent Brown At RT

July 24th, 2024 at 1:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The last of this year’s draftees to sign his rookie contract, Amarius Mims now finds himself in what may be the largest position battle in NFL history. It is certainly on the short list. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound rookie is set to challenge a 6-8, 370-pound veteran to round out the Bengals’ offensive line.

Cincinnati signed Trent Brown as a stopgap of sorts but soon addressed the position with its first-round pick, adding Mims in an upside-based bet at No. 18. The Bengals taking advantage of a tackle-rich draft has given them an interesting situation at right tackle, with the depth chart forming shortly after Jonah Williams — a converted left tackle — joined the Cardinals in free agency.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Bengals]

Brown signed shortly after Williams’ defection, but Mims appears to be on near-equal footing with the recent Patriots starter. The Bengals will give the Georgia product “every opportunity” to overtake Brown, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. writes (subscription required). Although Mims’ minimal college starter experience makes him a reasonable candidate as a developmental option behind Brown, it is notable the Bengals do not view their RT situation that way.

Mims made all of eight college starts in three Georgia seasons, showing immense potential when on the field. The SEC product battled injuries in college; the ankle injury he sustained last season required tightrope surgery and left him sidelined for much of the campaign, threatening to hurt his draft stock. Mims made his first starts during the 2022 College Football Playoff before logging six starts at right tackle in 2023. That is an interesting profile for a player chosen 18th overall, but the young blocker showcased tremendous potential during the draft run-up.

The Bengals gave Brown a one-year, $4.75MM deal a few days into free agency; that contract included $2MM guaranteed at signing. Brown, 31, carries significant injury risk and was at odds with the Patriots at points last season; some in New England viewed the mammoth tackle as protecting his stock for free agency rather than returning as quickly as he could have. Ankle and knee trouble limited Brown to 11 games last season, marking the fifth time in six seasons he has missed at least five games in a single campaign. That limited Brown’s market, and with the 10th-year lineman starting camp on the active/NFI list, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes Mims will receive the bulk of the first-string reps.

Cincy saw its 2022 plan at right tackle fizzle when La’el Collins underwhelmed before ACL and MCL tears, leading to the Orlando Brown Jr. signing and Collins’ eventual release. Williams’ free agency exit, as big money went to a Tee Higgins franchise tag, opens the door for an interesting two-deep.

With Mims already in competition, Trent Brown shifting to a swing role — one Dehner notes is the better fit for the former Super Bowl starter at this point — may be on tap early in the season. Upon returning from the NFI list, Cincy’s older RT option will have work to do to book a 10th season as a starter.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk Begins Hold-In

July 24th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Aiyuk‘s 49ers impasse has veered closer to the arc Deebo Samuel‘s traversed two years ago. The younger San Francisco receiver standout has now requested a trade and begun a hold-in effort, mirroring where Samuel’s saga went in 2022.

The fifth-year wideout stood on the sideline and watched practice Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. John Lynch had said he expected everyone to practice, pointing to the Aiyuk matter taking this logical next step. Samuel held in for a few days two years ago but landed an extension. Aiyuk’s talks have continued to reveal a value gap, with his trade request emerging much later in the offseason compared to Samuel’s.

[RELATED: At Least Five Teams Interested In Aiyuk]

But the 49ers’ leading wide receiver from last season is at training camp, avoiding fines. Since the 2020 CBA made holdouts harder to stage, players have gotten around that language by showing up and not participating. The 49ers have now seen Samuel and Aiyuk hold in and Nick Bosa stage a true holdout, one that did not end until days before last season began.

Samuel signed his three-year, $71.55MM extension on July 31, 2022. Both he and D.K. Metcalf held in that year, with each seeing three-year deals to wrap those short periods. Aiyuk, 26, has been tied to wanting far more. The 49ers have identified a $26-$27MM-per-year price range, and Aiyuk has been tied to wanting a deal at or around $30MM and guarantees that come in around A.J. Brown‘s $84MM. Extension talks, which have produced more rumors compared to Samuel’s two years ago, have not progressed despite having begun months ago.

The 49ers having come to terms with Samuel and Bosa after stretches of non-participation in camp provides a roadmap to an Aiyuk resolution, and the 2023 team’s leading receiver being at camp does as well. The 49ers have repeatedly said Aiyuk, who is tied to a $14.12MM fifth-year option, is in their 2024 plans.

Aiyuk signing an extension would move Samuel to uncertain territory, with the prospect of the elder wideout — who is heading into his age-28 season — being moved to the trade block to accommodate an Aiyuk deal and a Brock Purdy extension in 2025 having been rumored at points this offseason. Ricky Pearsall, who briefly played with Aiyuk at Arizona State, appears in place as a long-term successor to either Aiyuk or Samuel.

Although the 49ers listened on Aiyuk and Samuel during the draft, they are attempting to run it back with the receiving duo they assembled four years ago. Aiyuk can use the prospect of a 2025 franchise tag against the 49ers, who are projected to be nearly $40MM over the 2025 salary ceiling. He has indicated an expectation of playing for the 49ers this season. It may be a bit before Aiyuk goes through drills and team work, and how this latest WR negotiation concludes will have long-term implications for the franchise.

Seahawks, C Connor Williams In Talks

July 24th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 24: Less than eight months after Williams’ ACL tear, Schefter notes the veteran O-lineman has passed a Seahawks physical and is in talks with the team. No deal is imminent, however, as Williams appears set to gauge his value now that he has cleared a bar on his recovery. The former Cowboys draftee is still talking to other teams.

JULY 22: Connor Williams‘ availability for at least the start of the 2024 season is in doubt, but he is a notable free agent option for teams in need of interior offensive line additions. The former Cowboys and Dolphins starter remains unsigned as teams begin training camps, but that may change soon.

Williams has a Tuesday visit lined up with the Seahawks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 27-year-old has been expected to draw interest around the league, although the ACL tear which cut his 2023 campaign short has hurt his value. A deal allowing him to return to Miami had been floated as a possibility, but a reunion is now considered unlikely.

The Dolphins are set to move forward with Aaron Brewer at center, the position Williams exceled at during his Miami tenure. The latter’s injury has led to a slow-moving free agent process, and it would come as no surprise if Williams elected to take a one-year deal in 2024 aimed at allowing him to return to full health and set his sights on a multi-year accord next offseason. This Seattle visit will be his first known one.

The Seahawks actively sought out a number of guard options during free agency before ultimately making an addition. Seattle signed Laken Tomlinson as a veteran capable of earning a first-team guard spot. The opposite guard role will be contested by the likes of Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes, but uncertainty exists entering camp at the center position.

Nick Harris, Olusegun Oluwatimi and Mike Novitsky reside as Seattle’s top options in the middle as things stand, Williams – a veteran of 83 games and 77 starts – is considerably more experienced, and his play in Miami when healthy demonstrated his ability when used in the middle. He would represent an intriguing addition for the Seahawks if tomorrow’s visit were to go well. The team currently has roughly $8.5MM in cap space.

Colts Not Planning Ryan Kelly Extension Before Season

July 24th, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going through a retention-heavy offseason, Chris Ballard showed a willingness to hand out third contracts to longtime Colts. Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart signed third contracts as Colts, each receiving raises from their initial extensions. This is not a uniform policy, however, and the Colts appear set to let their longest-tenured player enter a platform year with an uncertain future.

Predating the eighth-year GM’s arrival, Ryan Kelly has been in place as Indianapolis’ center since 2016. The former first-round pick has lobbied for a second extension to stay in Indianapolis, but he has not seen the team share his interest. No deal has come about, and Kelly said Wednesday the team rebuffed his effort to secure a third contract.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts]

“We made it known that we wanted to stay, that we wanted to have an extension, and they didn’t see it as part of their priorities,” Kelly said, via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. “From our standpoint, the Colts have basically made it pretty clear that they don’t want to do any early extension.”

The Colts did give Kelly his current contract — a four-year, $49.65MM deal — before the 2020 season, giving the Ryan Grigson-era draftee long-term security as the league’s highest-paid center. While Kelly’s contract no longer tops his position, the center market has not spiked like other positions have.

Nearly four years after Kelly’s extension was finalized, he remains the NFL’s third-highest-paid center. The Colts will run the risk of losing their Pro Bowl pivot — a reality the team explored early during the transition to Shane Steichen, when Kelly was dangled in trades — this offseason did show the team can retain talent when contracts expire.

Moore, Stewart, Tyquan Lewis and Julian Blackmon each re-signed after the legal tampering period began. The Colts previously hammered out big-ticket deals for the likes of Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Jonathan Taylor and Shaquille Leonard months before they played a down in a contract year. Kelly, 31, may well need to show quality form once again to earn a third contract from the team.

The Alabama alum has made four of the past five Pro Bowls, earning an alternate nod last season. Pro Football Focus rated Kelly eighth among centers last season, while pass block win rate slotted him 20th among all interior O-linemen. The Colts did draft Tanor Bortolini as a potential successor, however, choosing the Wisconsin product in Round 4. Kelly has missed more than four games in a season just once — in 2017 — but he suffered two concussions last year. Kelly said in January he was not considering retirement.

Should Kelly stay healthy, he would stand to have a decent market in 2025. Based on how the Colts proceeded this offseason, they should not be ruled out from circling back to contract talks. For now, though, Kelly does not have assurances he will be back in Indiana next season.

Broncos, Quinn Meinerz Agree On Extension

July 24th, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 24: The base value of Meinerz’s deal will leave the NFL’s $20MM-per-year guard count at four. This contract checks in at four years and $72MM, according to OverTheCap. Of Meinerz’s $45MM guarantee, $24MM is locked in at signing. Incentives cover $8MM in this deal, which could take it to $80MM if maxed out.

The improving guard secured a rolling guarantee structure for 2026 as well. If Meinerz is on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base salary ($14.86MM) becomes guaranteed. Meinerz’s 2024 and ’25 base salaries are guaranteed at signing. If Meinerz is on the Broncos’ roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, $6.14MM of his 2027 base ($17.49MM) will become guaranteed.

JULY 16: Already carrying three veteran contracts on their offensive line, the Broncos are adding a fourth. Quinn Meinerz is now Denver’s highest-paid blocker, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reporting the team’s ascending right guard has an extension in place.

The former third-round pick agreed to a four-year deal worth $80MM; $45MM will be guaranteed to the Division III product. Meinerz, who has become one of the NFL’s better guards over the past two seasons, is now signed through the 2028 season. This eclipses Garett Bolles‘ deal for the most lucrative pact handed to an O-lineman in Broncos history.

Earlier this offseason, we mentioned Meinerz as an extension candidate. The Broncos will have some more breathing room beginning in 2026, when the Russell Wilson dead money is off the books, and Meinerz will be paired with Bo Nix‘s rookie contract. While right tackle Mike McGlinchey is locked in through at least 2025, Bolles is playing on an expiring contract. Left guard Ben Powers‘ four-year deal also pays out its guarantees this season. Meinerz now sits as the top investment along Denver’s O-line, becoming the NFL’s fifth $20MM-per-year guard.

Meinerz’s deal follows Quenton Nelson, Chris Lindstrom, Landon Dickerson and Robert Hunt in the $20MM-AAV club at this increasingly valuable position. This contract matches the Hunt and Nelson deals for AAV; Dickerson remains the NFL’s highest-paid guard. Although Meinerz has yet to be selected for a Pro Bowl, the interior mauler — known at one point for his “The Belly” alias — has been one of the top-rated guards over the past two seasons.

While GM George Paton made some memorably bad decisions in 2022 — the Wilson trade/extension, the Nathaniel Hackett hire — his 2021 draft class has panned out thus far to help keep the team afloat. Meinerz joins Patrick Surtain as the anchors from that group, though the Broncos have a few other contributors from Paton’s first offering as a GM. Pro Football Focus graded Meinerz as a top-five guard in 2022 and slotted him third among guards last season. The advanced metrics site placed Meinerz, 25, as the NFL’s best run-blocking guard in 2023.

Sean Payton was not present for Meinerz’s arrival, but the second-year Broncos boss has long placed a premium on interior O-line success. Payton invested heavily in interior blockers to help protect Drew Brees; current Broncos O-line coach Zach Strief was part of that effort. Jahri Evans became a pillar for the Saints, while the team also used first-round picks to acquire Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz. Erik McCoy, who has become one of the NFL’s top centers, arrived via second-round pick during the end of Payton’s New Orleans run.

The Saints also signed Larry Warford to a big-ticket free agent deal in 2017, the same year the Broncos added Ronald Leary in free agency. Denver did not see Leary or 2020 free agent guard signee Graham Glasgow provide sufficient value, but the team continued down the free agent path with Powers. The late-blooming Ravens success story started 17 games alongside Meinerz last season. Powers, 27, is signed through 2026. The Broncos have bigger plans for Meinerz, who has become one of the NFL’s most unique success stories in recent years.

The COVID-19 pandemic nixed Division III’s 2020 season, leading Meinerz to train on his own ahead of the draft. A Senior Bowl invite, along with some mid-’80s Rocky Balboa-like training techniques, propelled the Wisconsin-Whitewater product to a Day 2 investment.

Replacing an injured Glasgow in 2021, Meinerz has started 39 career games. A Meinerz extension likely factored into the Broncos’ decision not to re-sign Dalton Risner last year — though, the four-year guard starter did not prove to be expensive in free agency — and the team will aim for Meinerz to block for Nix for many seasons moving forward.

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