Report: Broncos Sign RG Quinn Meinerz to $80M Extension

The Denver Broncos have made a bank-breaking commitment on the doorstep of training camp, signing right guard Quinn Meinerz to a four-year, $80 million extension, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

The deal — which vaults Meinerz among the NFL's top-five highest-paid RGs — includes $45 million in guarantees, per 9NEWS' Mike Klis.

#Broncos G Quinn Meinerz has agreed to terms on a four-year, $80 million extension, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

“The Belly” gets $24m in the first year of the deal. The 2021 3rd-rounder from D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater, who flew up draft boards, is now a top-5 paid guard. pic.twitter.com/XmnPDNX2m8
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 17, 2024

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A 39-game starter since 2021, Meinerz indisputably blossomed into Denver's best offensive lineman last season, finishing as the league's third-highest-rated guard among 79 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus' metrics. He, too, was graded as the top run-blocker across 1,038 total offensive snaps.

“I thought he had a really good year," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in June. "I remember when he came out [of college], and when a player [went] to the AFC, maybe you lose track a little bit. I thought he played exceptionally well. Certainly he’s a powerful, sticky run blocker. He does a lot of things extremely well. I think he loves it. He loves the process, which is half the battle. So I love that he’s our right guard.”

The franchise's "secret superstar" and most egregious 2023 Pro Bowl snub, Meinerz — who turns 26 in November — is the third Broncos starting lineman in the Payton regime to receive a massive financial investment, and the fourth to command a significant salary.

Last offseason, Denver shelled out a combined $139 million for right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers while also paying Garett Bolles top-ten left tackle money. Bolles is due to count a team-high $20 million against the club's salary cap in 2024, the final year of his contract.

Meinerz and the Broncos' veterans will report for training camp next Tuesday, with the opening practice scheduled to take place on Friday, July 26.

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