Two Broncos OL Nominated for Protector of the Year Award

What a tremendous honor for the Broncos' offensive line.

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) blocks New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams (97) during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Two Denver Broncos offensive linemen have been nominated for the NFL's Protector of the Year award. Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles and right guard Quinn Meinerz were both nominated for the inaugural award, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The nominees for the NFL's first Protector of the Year award, via league sources:

Broncos OT Garett Bolles
Dolphins C Aaron Brewer
Chiefs C Creed Humphrey
Broncos OG Quinn Meinerz
Bears OG Joe Thuney
Lions OT Penei Sewell

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 29, 2026

Also nominated were:

• Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer
• Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey
• Chicago Bears offensive guard Joe Thuney
• Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell

The winner of the Protector of the Year award will be revealed on February 5 at the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of Super Bowl 60. Last year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II captured the Defensive Player of the Year award, so a Bronco will have the chance to bring home some hardware in consecutive seasons.

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All-Pro Tandem

Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz (77) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Both Bolles and Meinerz were elected to the Pro Bowl this year, marking the first time either had garnered honors for the NFL's all-star games. Both were also named first-team All-Pros.

The Broncos' season came to an abrupt end in the AFC championship game last Sunday. The New England Patriots were able to capitalize on Bo Nix's absence and eek out a 10-7 win.

The season didn't end the way the Broncos hoped, but this team won 15 games (counting playoffs), captured the AFC West crown for the first time in 10 years, and clinching the No. 1 seed in the conference. On top of that, the Broncos co-led the NFL with six Pro Bowlers and they also had six players selected to the A.P.'s All-Pro Team.

Nix will return in about 12 weeks. With him healthy and back in the fold, the Broncos' outlook will be restored. But Bolles has never doubted what the future holds for this team, and he stands by his offensive line being the best in the NFL, regardless of what Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams said after Sunday's game.

"We have a young team, we have a quarterback, we have the best offensive line in football. I don’t care what anyone says, we do," Bolles said on Monday as he cleared out his locker. "That’s just reality. Numbers don’t lie. Stats don’t lie. You guys can look that up, that’s just reality."

Nix was the least-sacked quarterback in the NFL this year. The Broncos' offensive line again finished as one of the highest-graded.

Before J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending injury in Week 10, the Broncos were fielding a top-10 rushing offense. In Bolles' opinion, the Broncos are just a couple of playmakers away from achieving their goals and getting over the hump in the AFC.

"We have one of those quarterbacks. We have a great running back room. We have great receivers," Bolles said. "Obviously, we need some key players to come in and do what they need to do by getting points on the scoreboard. We have a phenomenal defense. We have everything we need. We just need a couple more playmakers and the sky’s the limit for this team.”

The Offseason Awaits

The Broncos now enter the long offseason, but they won't be idle. Finally freed of the Russell Wilson dead-money hits on the salary cap, the Broncos are projected to have north of $30 million in cap space for free agency.

The Broncos also have a full complement of draft picks, so the offseason roster-building war chest is full. It will be fun to see how the Broncos approach it and whether they'll be "aggressive," as GM George Paton said on Tuesday.

We'll find out on February 5 whether Bolles or Meinerz actually take home the Protector of the Year award. Bolles has to be considered the frontrunner.