Broncos LT Garett Bolles worked for two years to convince Sean Payton he should part of the long-term foundation and it finally paid off

When Sean Payton first arrived as Denver’s coach in 2023, he quickly set about putting his stamp on just about everything in the organization.

That meant many changes to the roster, but two constants emerged over his first and second offseasons: Invest in the offensive line and don’t be afraid to get rid of the franchise’s old guard or big names.

The Broncos went big in free agency in 2023, landing Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers right away. They went deep on cuts to those who had been around longest or made the most, from kicker Brandon McManus to guard Dalton Risner and eventually safety Justin Simmons, quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Jerry Jeudy.

For most of that time, they left Garett Bolles in limbo.

The veteran left tackle and 2017 first-round draft pick played a premium position and did it well. But he also watched as many teammates were unceremoniously let go. He watched as some others earned contract extensions as Payton and general manager George Paton zeroed in on how — and with whom — they wanted to set the franchise’s foundation.

Bolles appeared to be caught between the early cuts and the must-keeps.

He came within four regular-season games and a potential playoff run of free agency for the first time in his career.

But ultimately, he earned the tag he’d worked to convince Payton he was worthy of: Foundational player.

The Broncos made that official when they signed the 32-year-old Bolles to a four-year contract extension Thursday worth $82 million that comes with $42 million guaranteed and ties him to Denver through the 2028 season.

“I had to prove myself,” Bolles said Thursday. “It was a new coaching staff and I knew Coach Payton and he has a certain way about players and certain offensive schemes and I had to adjust some things over the years.

“It always takes a little bit for people to love me and to fall in love with me, but I just have to trust that process and the good Lord always had a plan for me and it was for me to be here in Denver.”

For most of Bolles’ tenure, it looked like this might not happen at all. Denver could have extended him in the spring or even added void years to soften his $20 million salary cap hit, but instead left him to play out the final year before free agency.

Talks finally ramped up after the Broncos’ Week 13 Monday night win against Cleveland, and perhaps fittingly so. Bolles controlled All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett for the second straight season.

“My agent was keeping me in the loop here and there but I knew I had to play good football to get it,” Bolles said.

He’s done that. And in the process, he’s put himself in position for something even rarer than working from the periphery into the core of Payton’s vision for the future of this team. He’s set himself up to potentially be a Bronco for life.

“I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Bolles said. “I could have. I could have hit free agency and earned more money or whatever it is. I never cared about money. I care about a legacy. I think legacy speaks volumes about the type of man. I wanted to create a legacy here.”

As the team finished practice Thursday, the group circled up as usual and Bolles’ extension was announced. The news drew roars.

In the locker room afterward, teammates spoke glowingly about his dedication and his level of play.

“I’m so happy for GB and his family,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “It’s so well deserved and obviously he’s having an unbelievable year. You’ve seen his growth under this staff and under this new group here and the steps he’s taken to become the player he is have been awesome. And he got rewarded for it.”

Now the entire Broncos offensive line is under contract through the 2025 season and all but center Luke Wattenberg are through at least 2026. That doesn’t mean the group will necessarily remain intact the entire time, but it sets Denver up to have continuity on its front line.

“I haven’t had consistency here,” Bolles said Thursday. “It’s new coach, new offensive line coach, new left guard, new quarterback. It’s just gone on and on and on. You can’t win games doing that and I think Coach Payton understands that. He’s been around this league a long time and it starts with the offensive line.

“The more consistency you have up front, the better you play.”

Denver’s got that now. The unit is playing at a high level. Bolles is seventh and McGlinchey 11th among tackles in ESPN’s pass-block win rate while center Luke Wattenberg (No. 2) and guards Quinn Meinerz (No. 7) and Ben Powers (No. 11) are all among the top 11 in the metric among interior offensive linemen.

As a group, they regularly top analytic models regarding pass blocking and in ESPN’s team win rates they check in No. 1 against the pass-rush and No. 5 in run blocking.

This is what Payton set out to build when he arrived. A team built from the inside out. He just didn’t know early on whether Bolles was part of the long-term solution.

The Broncos left tackle, like he’s done many times in his life and in his NFL career, worked until he had convinced anybody who needed convincing.

“I continue to prove myself. I’ve never been the guy — my whole life I’ve always had to prove people wrong,” Bolles said. “I think that’s my attitude and I think that’s what makes me successful is I have that extra edge to want to be great and work hard.”

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