Quinn Meinerz extension latest signal Sean Payton’s Broncos will be defined by offensive line

Inside a dark and unfinished basement in Wisconsin, also known as “The Grit Dungeon,” Quinn Meinerz never expected that one day he would become one of the highest-paid guards in the NFL.

It was 2020 and the pandemic had shut down Division-III football, forcing the Wisconsin-Whitewater offensive lineman to train in the bottom floor of his dad’s house, where there was nothing but a rack of weights and Meinerz’s determination.

The hours spent proved beneficial during the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he excelled and set himself up to be taken by the Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft. Three years later, he once again reaped the benefits of those hours in the dungeon and countless blocking reps in the Canadian wilderness, when Denver awarded him with a four-year contract worth up to $80 million.

It’s safe to say the 70 pounds of ground beef he consumed during his training process was all worth it.

“It was kind of like when hard work and luck kind of meet and that was how I kind of started my journey,” Meinerz said.

Meinerz’s payday is just the latest commitment from head coach Sean Payton to invest big money in the offensive line. The former Saints coach has always viewed linemen as the most important position on the roster and has shown it multiple times during his brief tenure in Denver.

“It has served us well everywhere I have been,” Payton said.

Since Payton’s arrival, the Broncos have invested $211 million in Meinerz, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and right guard Ben Powers. McGlinchey (five years, $87.5 million) and Powers (four years, $51.5 million) were the Broncos’ two big free-agent additions during the 2023 offseason. Meinerz’s extension came with $45 million in guaranteed money, according to Spotrac.

Meanwhile, left tackle Garett Bolles has a cap hit of $20 million this season — the final year of a four-year, $68 million extension signed in 2020.

When Payton was in New Orleans in 2021, the team gave right tackle Ryan Ramczyk a five-year, $96 million deal (60.2 million guaranteed). In 2016, former Saints offensive lineman Terron Armstead signed a five-year, $65 million extension ($38 million guaranteed).

McGlinchey said Meinerz’s extension was well-deserved.

“You could make a movie out of Quinn,” McGlinchey told The Denver Post. “To go from overlooked and not wanted to being one of the highest-paid guards in the history of football is so cool.”

McGlinchey and Meinerz take pride in the heavy emphasis being placed on the offensive line by the franchise. For McGlinchey, he believes the culture of the football team is set in the offensive line room.

Even though all of that money warrants pressure, Meinerz doesn’t mind it.

“I mean the cliché is that pressure makes diamonds. We’re ready for it,” Meinerz said.

Denver returns four of five starting offensive linemen from last year. There’s still the question of who will be starting at center, but two of the players in the mix (Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth) were on the roster last season. Forsyth is entering his second season in the league and is viewed as a starting-caliber player by general manager George Paton.

Whether it’s Jarrett Stidham, rookie Bo Nix or Zach Wilson starting at quarterback this fall, they could benefit from the continuity the offensive line has developed.

“We’re just scratching the surface of what we can be,” McGlinchey said.

The Broncos showed they believe Meinerz is worth the big investment. He is looking forward to proving it.

“I know (an) offensive lineman isn’t always a glorious pick, but also, seeing a (Wisconsin) Whitewater helmet and having a fan base going, ‘What is that school? Purple and silver? What is that?’” Meinerz said. “I’m really excited to be here for the long term. This is what I’ve always wanted.”

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