Payton Renders Prediction After Broncos OG Quinn Meinerz's Pro Bowl Snub

Quinn Meinerz was one of the Pro Bowl's most egregious snubs this year.

December 28, 2024: Denver Broncos offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz during WEEK 17 of the NFL, American Football Herren, USA regular season between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos in Cincinnati, Ohio. / Kevin Schultz / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

When the Pro Bowl rosters were announced this past week, three Denver Broncos were named as starters, including cornerback Patrick Surtain II, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, and returner Marvin Mims Jr. However, two of the Broncos' most deserving Pro Bowl candidates were snubbed, although they were tapped as alternates.

It had to be frustrating for the Broncos to see right guard Quinn Meinerz and defensive tackle Zach Allen get overlooked in the Pro Bowl sweepstakes. Every team has a 'snub' gripe or two each year, but these two were particularly egregious.

However, Sean Payton's experience has given him wisdom, which he's trying to pass along to his players. And that applies to an easily overlooked position like offensive guard, where Meinerz might feel like he's toiling away in utter obscurity, despite his overwhelming dominance.

Payton sees an upside for Meinerz, though. The long-time NFL head coach has been around long enough to know how the cookie crumbles for deserving offensive linemen.

“Here’s what happens. I’ve told Quinn this. I said the same thing to [former Saints G] Jahri Evans. Jahri’s up for the [Pro Football] Hall of Fame this year, he’s a finalist," Payton said. "[He was] an elite guard—elite—and he didn’t make it Year 2—I’m not sure what year it was. I called him in, and I said, ‘You’re going to get slighted a year or two in the early part of your career, and then you’re going to have two that you really shouldn’t have gotten in that you get on the back end.’ The same thing will happen with Quinn.”

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Indeed, Evans didn't get his first Pro Bowl nod until Year 4 for the New Orleans Saints. But that ended up being the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, as he would go on to be selected for six straight seasons, finishing as a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, and a World Champion.

Meinerz is in his fourth year. Health willing, the football fates might smile upon him similarly in Year 5. A 2021 third-round pick out of Wisconsin-Whitewater, he became a starter at right guard as a rookie. He never looked back, but his phenomenal play has been obfuscated on a bad football team and a terrible offense until this season.

The Broncos rewarded Meinerz with a four-year, $80 million contract extension last summer. And while he was absolutely passed over for the Pro Bowl, he has $80 million (make that $40M after Uncle Sam takes his) distractions to take his mind off the slight.

In all seriousness, the "shine," as Payton puts it, surrounding the players who garner Pro Bowl attention and those who don't often comes down to team success and organizational profile. The Broncos have been a cellar-dweller for the past eight years, and while Payton has taken great strides to change that, this team is still one crucial win away from snapping its nearly decade-long playoff drought.

Meinerz didn't garner that Pro Bowl nod, but he could end up, like Garett Bolles in times past, missing the all-star bonanza while garnering an All-Pro selection from the Associated Press. The Broncos had three Pro Bowlers selected as a starter, with a whopping eight alternates, including Meinerz, Allen, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

If this team gets into the playoffs, it'll change the perception of the Broncos around the league — from the fans to the players to the coaches. Carrying it forward into 2025, that's when you'll really start to see the "shine" start to fall on the deserving players in the Broncos' ranks, including Meinerz and Allen.

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