Offensive linemen are, almost by default, spotlight-averse.
Most will even say that if they’re getting talked about too much during a game week or broadcast, it’s probably because something bad happened.
Nonetheless, the Broncos have a high-profile offensive line group, at least relatively speaking.
Four of their five starters are either considered among the best in football at their position or are among the game’s highest-paid.
On the left side, tackle Garett Bolles and guard Ben Powers check in at $20.5 million and $13 million per season, respectively. Those are both top-10 numbers, and they are each arguably top-10 performers, too. At right guard, Quinn Meinerz is an All-Pro and contender for best interior offensive lineman in football. He’s No. 5 on the pay list at $18 million per season. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey submitted maybe the best overall year of his career in 2024, and his $17.5 million per season ranks 10th at his position.
They all flank the least-known, lowest-paid, most-under-the-radar player of the group: Center Luke Wattenberg.
The fourth-year player out of Washington stepped into the starting lineup last fall to replace departed free agent Lloyd Cushenberry. He not only held his own, but he cemented himself as a player head coach Sean Payton, offensive line coach Zach Strief and the rest of the offense could rely on.
Asked during training camp whether his vision for Wattenberg had changed over the past year, Payton quickly acknowledged it had.
“It’s a lot different,” he said. “A starter. Asset starter. Smart. He played really well last year for us in his first year as a starter.”
Wattenberg doesn’t pop up on many lists of the best centers in football. He’s set to make $1.1 million in the final year of his rookie contract.
And yet he turned himself into a reliable starter while helping smooth the road for rookie quarterback Bo Nix a year ago. Now, as they head into their second year as starters together, they’ve got plenty of reason for confidence.
“It’s a big deal,” Wattenberg said. “Just more time together, the more it feels natural. We’ve gotten a lot of those reps together, so it’s starting to feel seamless.”
Wattenberg is quick to say that, as well as he played last season, it makes a big difference being sandwiched between a pair of guards like Powers and Meinerz. He does have the occasional assignment of blocking an interior defensive lineman one-on-one, but the nature of the position means he often either has help from the left or right, or he’s tasked with working in tandem with one of the guards.
“It goes back to my confidence,” Wattenberg said. “Being around the four guys around me brings my confidence up. We play so well together. They’re fantastic players, and I couldn’t ask to be on a better OL.”
The Broncos considered stretching their budget after the 2023 season to keep Cushenberry on the roster. Eventually, though, he signed a four-year, $50 million deal with Tennessee. Two rounds of free agency later, he’s still the No. 5-paid center in football. Part of Denver’s calculus in letting ‘Cush’ get away was the cautious optimism they had in Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth. Wattenberg won the job during training camp last summer and hasn’t looked back.
The only hiccup during his first season starting: An injury Week 5 against Las Vegas landed him on injured reserve and cost him four games. Aside from that, he put together a steady, productive season during which he not only held his own but showed he could be an asset in his own right.
Now the 2022 fifth-round pick is aiming to take another big step forward.
“I really want to take the next step in the run game and running off the ball. (New assistant offensive line coach) Chris Morgan has been helping me a lot with that and taking the next step in my run game. Playing fast, playing with my hat and getting my backside hand in have all been a point of emphasis for me, and he’s been helping me a lot with that.”
Another quality season for Wattenberg would further solidify the Broncos offensive line as one of the best in the business. It would also set Wattenberg up for a sizable second contract and cast a question as to whether the Broncos can retain all five starters — he’s the only one not currently under contract for 2026 — at substantial salaries.
That’s all for the future.
“I think we just have to keep focusing on the details and take it one step at a time,” Wattenberg said. “We just have to focus on what we want to get better at the next day. That will take us to where we want to go.”
Snap decision
With expensive pieces scattered about their offensive line, the Broncos relied on inexperienced center Luke Wattenberg to take the reins in the middle last fall. And of the 23 centers in the NFL who played more than 800 snaps in 2024, Wattenberg was among the best bargains of the bunch. That could be the case again this season. Here’s a look at the lowest 2025 cap hits for returning centers who made 800-plus snaps last year.
Mobile users, tap here to see the chart.
| Center, 2025 team | Cap hit | 2024 Snaps |
PFF pass-block grade (rank) |
PFF run-block grade (rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaux Limmer, L.A. Rams | $994,597 | 917 | 42.9 (28) | 66.3 (15) |
| Luke Wattenberg, Denver | $1,171,930 | 824 | 82.0 (2) | 56.9 (21) |
| Cooper Beebe, Dallas | $1,349,936 | 1061 | 60.3 (20) | 66.1 (16) |
| Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh | $1,714,594 | 976 | 66.6 (7) | 79.7 (4) |
| John Michael Schmitz, N.Y. Giants | $1,738,182 | 987 | 50.2 (25) | 67.0 (13) |
| Joe Tippmann, N.Y. Jets | $2,279,890 | 1066 | 63.1 (17) | 77.3 (6) |
| Josh Myers, N.Y. Jets | $3,000,000 | 1008 | 64.9 (12) | 52.2 (26) |
| Graham Barton, Tampa Bay | $3,187,058 | 1065 | 63.7(14) | 55.1 (23) |
| Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia | $3,534,268 | 1068 | 56.5 (21) | 68.5 (12) |
| Jake Brendel, San Francisco | $3,785,000 | 1072 | 55.1 (23) | 71.6 (8) |
Source: Spotrac.com
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