The Denver Broncos are the latest team in the NFL to have a $20 million per year guard, extending a former draft pick, Quinn Meinerz. The guard market in the NFL has just exploded in 2024, as there have been numerous guards who have signed mega deals. Quinn Meinerz of the Broncos is the latest one, as he earned a four-year, $80 million extension.
Sources: Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz, who has started 39 games since Denver selected him out Wisconsin–Whitewater in the third round of the 2021 Draft, is signing a four-year, $80 million contract extension that includes $45 million guaranteed and ties him to the team through the… pic.twitter.com/5puCKzozLj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 17, 2024
There are now five total guards making at least $20 million per year. Including Meinerz, Landon Dickerson, Chris Lindstrom, Robert Hunt, and Quenton Nelson also touch $20 million per year. Another six guards make at least $15 million per year, and in total, a whopping 19 guards are making at least $10 million per season.
Eleven guards have contracts worth at least $50 million. The market has just exploded in recent seasons, and it's quite astounding to watch. In the NFL, quality offensive line play is strongly desired, as it is largely weaker across the league. Obviously, the left and right tackle spots are the most important along the OL, but we're now seeing guards get paid like tackles to an extent.
The center position is the least-paid of the positions, if that makes sense, but there are still five centers who make at least $10 million per season. Yes, the NFL salary cap does tend to go up mostly every season, so the deals are only going to get bigger.
Quinn Meinerz was the Denver Broncos third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft from D3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, so it's been a long time coming for the player. He emerged in 2023 as the best run-blocking guard in football, and is also quite talented as a pass-blocker as well.
The Denver Broncos have invested a ton of money into their offensive line, as all of Meinerz, Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, and Mike McGlinchey are on big-time deals.