Garett Bolles Breaks Silence on Broncos not Exercising his Fifth-Year Option, Fans Booing
Denver Broncos' left tackle Garett Bolles gets plenty of criticism from fans, and understandably so. The 2017 first-round pick has been plagued by inconsistent play and penalties in his first three NFL seasons.
There was even one point when Bolles remarked that he thought referees had it in for him. But when he spoke to reporters following Thursday's practice, he had a different perspective: He took ownership of his mistakes.
"Listen, our fans are some of the best fans in the country," Bolles said. "They deserve the best football. Here in Denver we have a tradition of winning. It’s unacceptable for the way that I played. I take full responsibility of that.
"What I do is—nobody likes to get booed, so I took that upon myself to get better. I did whatever I can. I took sets. I worked out hard. I put on 20 extra pounds. I did whatever I can to make myself better, the best version of me moving forward because I know this is a very important season not just for me but for my family. This organization is counting on me to be the best version of myself. I know whatever I had to do this offseason I did it."
Of course, what matters is how Bolles' work translates to his on-field play. But an important step any player can take to get better is to take ownership of his mistakes and learn from them. The fact that Bolles acknowledged he's done that is an encouraging sign.
Bolles was open about how he worked on the mental aspect of the game. It's an element that likely had as much to do with him drawing multiple penalties in several games, as much as the physical aspect of his play.
"All offseason I took it seriously to really work on my mental game and do whatever I can to make myself mentally ready," Bolles said. "When something happens, I can’t physically take that back. If it happens, I have to let it go and move on the next play. I think coming into this training camp, I think I’ve done a really good job of when I make a mistake, I let that mistake go and it’s on to the next play."
Bolles admitted he's an emotional player and that aspect can be a positive for the team. But he acknowledged that there are things that happen on the field that he can't control, so he needs to focus on getting better. He credited offensive line coach Mike Munchak and quarterback Drew Lock for helping him keep that focus.
"I just have to continue to get better, work better, work on my technique, make sure my hands are in the right proper areas so that I don’t get called on holding and things like that," Bolles said. "I think I did a phenomenal job the last five games of the year of really trying to learn and to improve."
The final five games of 2019 saw Bolles play his best football of his career, but it wasn't enough for the Broncos to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Bolles, however, isn't worrying himself about that. He said he can't control what GM John Elway or the front office, but he can control what he does on the field.
"I know that if I play good football and I play the best I can, then I know I can be here long-term," Bolles said. "I know I can play at this level a long time. If I just focus on me and being the best me and not getting too high with the highs and too low with the lows, I know I’ll be exactly where I need to be."
Getting back to Munchak, he's the first offensive line coach Bolles has had for two straight seasons. Jeff Davidson coached the line in Bolles' rookie season and Davidson never got the unit to click.
In Bolles' second season, Chris Strasser worked with the tackles and Sean Kugler worked with the guards, but while the two were good coaches, the way former head coach Vance Joseph split up the duties might not have been for the best.
Though Munchak has a good assistant in Chris Kuper, it's clear this is Munchak's show. Bolles had nothing but praise for Munchak's faith in him — faith that might explain why the Broncos didn't draft an offensive tackle, despite many fans calling for that.
"When someone’s trusts you—you know trust doesn’t come easy with a lot of people," Bolles said. "Throughout my life, it was hard for me to trust people, but I know Munchak is the best O-line coach in the National Football League."
Bolles added, "He’s just a phenomenal coach. He truly cares about us and loves us unconditionally. He wants us to be the best version of ourselves because he knows what we go through on a regular basis with media, with eating and everyone coming after us from all different directions. That’s big. I love him and I’m extremely grateful for him. It’s not easy for a coach to come in here and hear a lot of negative about a player and just love me from the minute I met him."
The left tackle referred to teammate Dalton Risner's remarks about how Munchak could easily deserve a second Hall of Fame jacket as an offensive line coach (Munchak already has one as an offensive lineman for the Houston Oilers). And Bolles also spoke highly of the bond he has formed with Risner, the left guard playing next to him.
"I love that kid to death," Bolles said. "From the minute he came here, we’ve had a relationship. He’s like my little brother. It’s a big brother, little brother thing. That’s how we are. I trust him. Whatever he says, I listen. I think the knowledge of the game that he has is phenomenal for such a young left guard in the league. I think he’s going to be a big-time guy with a lot of Pro Bowls and a lot of things coming his way."
Bolles, for his part, will have plenty to prove on the field. But taking ownership of his mistakes, learning from his coaches and learning from a teammate are all important aspects of improving as a player.
If Bolles keep taking everything to heart, he just might prove himself and turn that criticism from fans into praise.
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