Quinn Meinerz is going to be able to buy all the telescopes he wants.
The ascending offensive lineman and the Broncos agreed to a massive four-year contract extension worth up to $80 million and including $45 million in guarantees, multiple sources confirmed to The Post on Tuesday evening.
Meinerz, a former third-round draft pick in 2021, was entering the final year of his rookie contract and now will be with Denver for the foreseeable future. The former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater standout capitalizes on a booming market for interior offensive linemen and the Broncos secure a player whom they consider to be a cornerstone talent well into the future.
Meinerz was an internet sensation coming out of college because his COVID-era workouts included moving logs at his uncle’s fishing camp. As he’s settled into the NFL, he’s become an avid collector of “chill synth” vinyl, bowling balls and telescopes. He is also a dominating football player who took a big step in 2023 and looks set to be one of the NFL’s best interior lineman for years to come.
Meinerz told The Post last fall that he felt as though he was in the midst of something approaching a breakout. Not only that, but he had become comfortable stating a simple aspiration.
“I want to be the best guard in football,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
Now he’s being paid like one.
His coaches have made it clear they think he played at that level for all of 2023. He’s been regarded as one of the best run blockers in football since his rookie season. Offensive line coach Zach Strief said last fall that Meinerz had taken a jump in pass protection, too.
““I would find it very hard to accept that he’s not currently an elite pass-protecting guard,” said Strief, who played right tackle for six seasons next to potential future Hall of Fame right guard Jahri Evans in New Orleans. “When we sit down at the end of the year and look at those numbers, understanding the whole structure of what we were trying to do on some of those, there are certainly plays. ‘I missed a hand here, I missed that.’ But his recovery ability is elite. It’s as good as I’ve ever been around. It’s Terron Armstead-ish, like, how did you get back into that position?”
Meinerz is only the latest in heavy investments the Broncos have made up front on their offensive line.
In 2022, Denver gave right tackle Mike McGlinchey $87.5 million and right guard Ben Powers $52 million to help fortify the offensive line. Left tackle Garret Bolles is entering the final year of his contract and carries a 2024 cap number of $20 million.
All told, that gives the Broncos a quartet of richly paid offensive linemen around what will likely be a young center — either Alex Forsyth or Luke Wattenberg — playing in front of an inexperienced quarterback this fall.
Meinerz is also part of a 2021 draft class that has already blossomed into an excellent one from general manager George Paton. Cornerback Pat Surtain II is also up for a massive extension sometime in the coming months and pairs with Meinerz and now first-round quarterback Bo Nix as likely building blocks for the franchise.
In addition to that premium pairing, the Broncos in 2021 also drafted running back Javonte Williams in the second round and found quality players in outside linebackers Baron Browning (third round) and Jonathon Cooper (seventh round) and safety Caden Sterns (fifth round). Sterns and Williams have dealt with injury issues, but if they round back into form this year it’s possible Denver could roll out five starters from that class.
This story will be updated.
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