Payton on Broncos' Quinn Meinerz: 'I Love That He's Our RG'

Massive — and deserved — praise.

May 23, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz (77) during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz catapulted from the doldrums of obscurity to the national NFL eye following a terrific 2023 campaign in which the 25-year-old was touted among the sport's best interior blockers — with the superlatives to match.

The little-known Wisconsin-Whitewater alum, recognized in the past more for his style than his substance, blossomed into the Broncos' "secret superstar," an "unsung hero," and (by his own account) an egregious Pro Bowl snub. For the right reasons, Meinerz's name now carries weight as it populates league circles, a positive development for both player and team.

Of all the analyses, this was best exemplified by his notoriously purse-lipped coach.

“I thought he had a really good year," Broncos HC Sean Payton said last month. "I remember when he came out [of college], and when a player [went] to the AFC, maybe you lose track a little bit. I thought he played exceptionally well. Certainly he’s a powerful, sticky run blocker. He does a lot of things extremely well. I think he loves it. He loves the process, which is half the battle. So I love that he’s our right guard.”

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The numbers certainly don't lie. According to Pro Football Focus, Meinerz finished last season as the league's third-highest-rated guard among 79 qualifiers and graded out as the top run-blocker across 1,038 total offensive snaps.

He's inarguably the Broncos' best lineman to such his presence raises all boats for a front-five undergoing change at the pivot, with second-year man Alex Forsyth likely replacing former longtime starter Lloyd Cushenberry.

And the club sleeps a little better at night knowing Meinerz will be linking arms with him on the field.

“The good news for the center most of the time is that he’s working with one of those two players," Payton said of Meinerz and veteran LG Ben Powers. "There are times where he’s isolated, but certainly the experience of those two players helps a lot.”

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