Mile High Sports

Denver Broncos lock in Quinn Meinerz on four-year, $80 million extension

Cody Roark
NFL: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos

Nov 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back Samaje Perine (25) scores a touchdown against Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) and linebacker Sione Takitaki (44) after being pushed into the end zone by guard Quinn Meinerz (77) in the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Quinn Meinerz has become a household name for the Denver Broncos offense since 2021 and will remain in-house for quite some time after agreeing to terms with the team on a four-year, $80 million contract extension, making him one of the NFL’s top-paid guards.

Denver Broncos lock in Quinn Meinerz long-term

One of the long-term goals Denver Broncos general manager George Paton outlined when he took over from John Elway was drafting and developing players to the point where they earn second contracts. He’s done just that with Quinn Meinerz, who has now become a top-five paid guard in the NFL.

Meinerz’ story and rise has been fun to watch, dating back to getting drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an NCAA Division III program. If it weren’t for Jim Nagy giving him a shot to compete in the Senior Bowl, Meinerz’ path to the NFL might have been more difficult. He dominated in various Senior Bowl practices leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, which put him on the radar of various teams around the league, including the Broncos.

Since he’s been in the league, he’s transformed into one of the most physically dominant interior offensive linemen in the league, burying opposing defenders on a consistent basis. Now, Sean Payton and Paton have a long-term option at right guard with one of the NFL’s most promising young players, and that type of continuity will benefit a player like Bo Nix, who is expected to be Payton’s quarterback of the future, considering his draft status.

Continuity on the offensive line is another important element that has been lacking over the course of the last five or six years, but with Meinerz, Ben Powers, and Mike McGlinchey locked in for the foreseeable future, Payton has even more room to work with when it comes to building this team.

In this new contract, $45 million of his new contract is guaranteed, with Meinerz set to make $24 million in the first year of his deal. This is a big move for the Denver Broncos and the first extension domino to fall. All eyes now shift on Denver getting something done with Patrick Surtain II.

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