At one point a few years ago, Mike McGlinchey turned to Luke Wattenberg and offered an assessment of his career.
“I told him he was the best-kept secret in the NFL,’’ McGlinchey said.
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McGlinchey had joined the Broncos as their right tackle in 2023, one year after Wattenberg was taken as a center by Denver out of Washington in the fifth round of the NFL draft.
Wattenberg didn’t play that much in his first two seasons, having one start in 23 games. But in 2024, after Lloyd Cushenberry III left as a free agent for Tennessee, he became the Broncos’ starting center.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals with teammate Luke Wattenberg (60) during the first half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
By last November, Wattenberg signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension, taking him through the 2029 season. After that deal was signed, the secret was certainly out about Wattenberg.
Meanwhile, Wattenberg has continued to work as if he were on a minimum NFL salary, which was close to the case in his first four NFL seasons.
“I think living up to the contract (extension) that I got is something I work toward every day,’’ Wattenberg said. “I was thinking during the whole offseason, it’s definitely time not to relax by any means.”
Wattenberg sure isn’t doing that. He is ranked as the No. 4 center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. No Denver player has a higher ranking by the analytics site.
“That’s awesome,’’ McGlinchey said of Wattenberg’s lofty spot. “It’s not a shock to me. Luke’s been a great player for a long time. I think he’s our anchor on the offensive line.”
Now that Wattenberg has started getting a lot more publicity for his play on the offensive line, what does that mean he believes he has to do?
“There’s always things for me to improve upon,’’ Wattenberg said. “I mean, I’m my own biggest critic. There’s a lot of stuff I can get better at.”
Wattenberg said there are “small techniques” such as “finishing blocks” and aspects of pass protection that he must improve upon. He also hasn’t liked how some shotgun snaps have drifted left to quarterback Bo Nix.
“I struggled earlier in the year, but I feel like I’m still working on it,’’ he said. “I’m fixing it. They were drifting and Bo had to reach to his left all the time, which is not easy for him to start every play off balance. It’s just snap technique. As soon as you bend your arm, there’s variability in your snap. It’s just a bad habit and I’m continuing to fix it.”
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back to pass as center Luke Wattenberg (60) defends in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lately, though, Wattenberg said he’s “been playing good.” Two weeks ago, he was ranked No. 8 among centers by Pro Football Focus, and last week he was No. 7. So he’s either been better in the eyes of those analysts or some other centers have fallen off.
Wattenberg is a mild-mannered guy and believes he has made great strides in recent years to become a better leader. He said Cushenberry helped him plenty in his first two Denver seasons before he replaced him as the starter.
“He showed me how to be a leader and how to be a pro, and he taught me a lot,’’ Wattenberg said of Cushenberry, now a Buffalo reserve after two seasons starting for the Titans. “He’s quieter guy, and he led by example. I’m not the most vocal guy. I do try to lead by example and lead our group. But it’s part of the position to talk a lot and get people on the same page.”
Wattenberg said McGlinchey, Meinerz, tackle Garett Bolles and guard Ben Powers also have been invaluable in helping his maturation. All were starters in 2023 before Wattenberg joined them as a starter the following season.
Along the way, former Denver offensive lineman Ryan Harris has been impressed with the development of Wattenberg. Harris, who played for the Broncos from 2007-10 and won a Super Bowl with them in the 2015 season, follows the team closely as an analyst in the media, including working Denver’s preseason television broadcasts.
“He’s working his way up (among NFL centers),’’ Harris said of Wattenberg. “I like how he gets after guys right after the snap.”
Harris said Wattenberg’s desire to live up to his contract has “propelled him” to be even better. And he’s certainly not a secret anymore.
Rapp a steal for Broncos
Coming off a knee injury suffered in Week 6 last season that required surgery, safety Taylor Rapp was released last March by Buffalo. He then received little interest as a free agent.
That was a mistake by a lot of teams.
The eight-year veteran eventually joined the Broncos’ practice squad before the start of the season, and he has turned into a into a key member of the secondary. With Denver having injuries to starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones, Rapp has played 171 of 235 defensive snaps in the last few three games.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton greets safety Taylor Rapp, right, before an NFL football game in Denver against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Geneva Heffernan, The Associated Press)
Rapp made his Denver debut with a practice squad elevation Oct. 15 against Seattle and got another elevation Oct. 25 at Arizona. He was signed to the 53-man roster Oct. 31 and played the next day in a 28-24 win over Kansas City.
The Broncos released Rapp on Friday before re-signing him to the practice squad Saturday and elevating him for Sunday’s game at Carolina. With Jones out against the Panthers, Rapp is expected to again play a key role. And with it being his final allowed elevation of the season, he is expected to be signed again to the 53-man roster.
“It’s been great,’’ star cornerback Pat Surtain II said about the Broncos having gotten Rapp, who previously played with the Los Angeles Rams from 2019-22 and the Bills from 2023-25. “His communication is off the charts and he flies around and makes plays. Obviously, he’s a veteran player who knows ball a lot.”
Rapp also knows a lot about winning. Having been a starter on the Rams when they won it all in the 2021 season, he is Denver’s only current player with a Super Bowl ring.
What I’m hearing
—Brandon McManus is still kicking. After playing for the Broncos from 2014-22 and being released when Sean Payton took over as head coach, he has stuck around the league with Jacksonville in 2023, Green Bay from 2024-25 and he’s now with the Los Angeles Rams. McManus, 35, was signed Oct. 20 and has been their kicker the past two games.
“He had a lot of talent,’’ said special teams guru Mike Westhoff, who was then assistant head coach when the Broncos released McManus in May 2023. “But he was a little bit of a pain in the neck and he wanted this and wanted that. It just wasn’t smooth.”
After the Broncos dumped McManus, they acquired Wil Lutz in a trade with New Orleans and he has been a solid addition.
—When defensive tackle Jordan Miller was waived by the Broncos on Aug. 29, they offered him a chance to be back on their practice squad for the third straight year. Instead, Miller opted to sign with Miami’s practice squad. “It looked definitely like a better opportunity,’’ he said. “I just went there to work and just didn’t really work out in my favor.” Miller, who said the Dolphins decided to focus more on some players who had been with them in the preseason, was released Sept. 28. He jumped at the chance to return to Denver’s practice squad last Tuesday.
“I love being back,’’ he said. “It was a no-brainer.”
What I’m seeing
—It could be time for the Broncos to really turn rookie running back Jonah Coleman loose. Expect J.K. Dobbins to again get the start against the Panthers, but the Broncos figure to have a short leash if he continues to struggle. Against the Chiefs, Dobbins had a meager seven carries for 13 yards and his season so far has been a major disappointment. He’s rushed for 306 yards while averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Coleman is on the rise. Against the Chiefs, he had 11 carries for 41 yards and caught four passes for 63 yards. With Dobbins not getting a single carry in the second half, Coleman had six attempts for 25 yards.
—Signing rookie defensive back Sean Fresch Jr. on Saturday off the practice squad to the active roster shows even more how much the Broncos value special teams. They have safety Tycen Anderson, who has played just one defensive snap this season and was signed due to his value on special teams. Fresch becomes another player on the 53-man roster who won’t be used in plays from scrimmage unless it becomes an unexpected situation. Fresch had used up his three elevations on the practice squad, so the Broncos had to promote him if they wanted him for any more games this season. In his first three NFL games against the Chargers, Seahawks and Cardinals, the former UFL player impressed the Broncos with his 42 snaps on special teams.