Here's Why Broncos Must Quickly Get LT Garett Bolles Extended

The Denver Broncos can't afford to let Garett Bolles walk.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) celebrates following the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos fell to a 5-5 record on the season following Week 10's frustrating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos still have plenty of business to handle with eight games left.

The New York Times playoff predictor has the Broncos with a 25% chance to make the playoffs, with only three games carrying a 50% win probability: at the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts. However, as the Broncos work to close out the season by making the playoffs, they should be working on something off the field as well. 

It was good to see the Broncos reward rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper with an extension, but there is another player they should look to extend before the season. That player would be left tackle Garett Bolles, who is playing out the final year of his deal and has been a stable option at the left tackle position.

It may be hard for some fans to hear, but the Broncos letting Bolles walk and trying to replace him wouldn't be the best move, especially with how the team has looked this season. The last thing the Broncos should want to do is try to replace their left tackle when tackle play across the NFL has been rough this season. 

To see what Bolles has done this season, let’s look at a few key Pro Football Focus metrics. Out of 63 qualifying tackles, both left and right, Bolles has played the 17th-most blocking snaps, eighth-most pass blocking snaps, has the 14th-highest offensive grade, the 15th-best run blocking grade, seventh-best pass blocking grade, and is tied for 10th-fewest sacks (with one sack allowed), tied for 23rd-fewest pressures allowed, and his pass-blocking efficiency ranks 13th. 

The issue is, and always has been, penalties. Bolles has the fourth-most penalties called against him among tackles this season, with four holding penalties, three false starts, and two other penalties. It's worth noting that these stats don't count Week 10.

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There's no doubt the Broncos should extend Bolles. The free-agent market for tackles doesn’t look great, nor does the 2025 NFL draft class, with the top ‘tackles’ being mentioned as guys who should move inside to guard at the NFL level. So, with it known the Broncos should extend Bolles, what should they look at for the contract? 

What would a Bolles extension look like?

Bolles will be 33 years old in May. While age is a concern at most positions, tackle is one where it's common to see high-level performance into the late-30s. So, a long-term extension for Bolles wouldn’t be terrible, but it might be better if the Broncos took a shorter approach to the extension with a three-year deal front-loaded in the first two, with team flexibility in the third. 

Bolles' previous contract was four years for $68 million, and even considering a year shorter, the money will likely need to be similar. 11 tackles in the NFL make over $20 million on average per year, with seven of them being left tackles and four right tackles. Bolles is a top-10 left tackle in the NFL, and there are left tackles who aren't playing as well as Bolles, getting north of the $20 million mark. 

However, there is also a clear financial mark for the max the Broncos should be willing to go, and that is $22 million per year. Anything over that would put Bolles in a contract tier with those who are playing better than him and have been better for the past few seasons. 

So, ideally, the Broncos should consider a three-year deal worth $60-66 million in total money. It would keep their left tackle in place, which is necessary as the Broncos don’t have a replacement on the roster nor a clear avenue to replace him in free agency or the draft. 

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