Broncos OT Legend Dishes on How Injuries Will Impact Bolles, McGlinchey
Denver Broncos great Ken Lanier recently joined me on the Legends of Mile High Podcast for a conversation, and the discussion did not disappoint. When a former professional offensive tackle, who played in the NFL for 14 seasons, held a stretch of 164 starts out of 165 games and is arguably the greatest right tackle in franchise history, speaks about the current Broncos’ linemen, you listen.
Lanier discussed the Broncos' current starters at offensive tackle and how their injuries could impact their performance. First, Lanier talked about the gruesome injury Garett Bolles suffered last year.
Bolles broke both bones in his lower leg and missed the final 12 games of the season. Even though he's been cleared to suit up and has started both preseason games at left tackle, could the leg still be affecting how well he plays?
“It’s one of those things that is always on your mind," Lanier told me. "Your strength might not be back where he feels comfortable pushing off with that leg because he is playing left [tackle], so with his right, he is definitely pushing off.
“It weighs heavy on your mind. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel right or it could be completely healed, and it could just be a mental game where you just have to get used to doing it again.”
Lanier also talked about how long it takes to get through the mental process.
“It depends on the individual," Lanier told me. "Some people play through things, and it doesn’t bother them. Some people with the nagging injuries, they can’t play with them.”
For the Broncos' sake and especially Russell Wilson’s performance, the team can only hope that Bolles is able to work through that process quickly and get back to his 2020 form when he was named a second-team All-Pro.
Secondly, Lanier discussed Mike McGlinchey’s injury, specifically having a left leg injury as a right tackle.
“First of all, I don’t know what type of injury it is," Lanier told me. "It could be a strain to the inside ligament, or it could’ve got 'hypered' [hyper-extended]. There are several things it could affect. That is going to be your push-off leg. Your left foot is going to be forward when you are on the right side. You're pushing off and then kind of dragging that foot a little bit to keep it on the ground. You always want to try to keep both feet in the grass when you're moving. Step one, drag the other so the defensive player can’t catch you off guard. I don’t know if [McGlinchey] is the type of person who can play injured. Not to the detriment of hurting yourself, but some people just feel like I got to be perfect. You’re never perfect during the season.”
Lanier went on to say, “Mental toughness plays a big role in being able to be a solid player.”
Hopefully, McGlinchey can get healed up for the regular season and can fight through any nagging effects of the injury he sustained in training camp. He has missed 16 out of a possible 75 starts since arriving in the league as a San Francisco top-10 draft pick in 2018, which would lead fans to believe he can work through the mental aspect of the injury and perform up to standard on the field.
Finally, Lanier discussed the importance of dealing with nagging injuries correctly in today’s game.
“They try to have their important players throughout the season and especially peaking towards the end," he said.
He went on to dish on how playing through injuries in his day would cause an early peak.
“A lot of times, it seems like we would peak early, and at the end of the season, we would just be totally exhausted," he said.
Having a great offensive tackle walk us through the injury process and how that could impact performance in many ways is a valuable opportunity. Lanier has a wealth of knowledge, and Broncos fans can only hope that the new-look training and health staff will have the players in peak shape at the right time.
Both Bolles and McGinchey have not missed many games in their time in the NFL, which should indicate they can bounce back and play well during the regular season.
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