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DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 04: Garett Bolles #72 of the Denver Broncos waves a flag after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field At Mile High on January 04, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos saw multiple players recognized as finalists at NFL Honors on Thursday night, but several key contributors ultimately walked away without hardware despite standout 2025 performances.
As Broncos Wire noted, offensive linemen Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz were at the top of that list.
Both linemen were finalists for the NFL’s inaugural Protector of the Year award.
The honor instead went to Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney during the ceremony in San Francisco.
This decision left Denver’s dominant offensive line without an award.
Bolles and Meinerz were widely viewed as strong contenders after anchoring one of the league’s most efficient units throughout the season.
Both earned AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, and their advanced metrics stacked up with and even exceeded those of the eventual winner.
Wow, Garett Bolles or Quinn Meinerz didn’t win the inaugural Protector of the Year Award…
If anything, Bolles was the one that got robbed of the award. He didn’t allow a single sack this season and led his offensive line to the AFC Championship Game
Sleeper Broncos summed up the reaction bluntly, writing:
“Wow, Garett Bolles or Quinn Meinerz didn’t win the inaugural Protector of the Year Award… If anything, Bolles was the one that got robbed.”
Broncos Offensive Line Dominance Goes Unrewarded
Bolles was named Pass Blocker of the Year by Pro Football Focus last month after posting a league-best 90.8 pass-blocking grade among tackles.
He was not credited with allowing a single sack all season, a rare feat at left tackle.
Meinerz was just as dominant inside.
The right guard finished with a 90.9 overall PFF grade, the highest among NFL guards, and led the position with a 92.1 run-blocking grade.
With Bolles and Meinerz leading the unit, Bo Nix was sacked just 22 times in 2025.
This was the fewest among all quarterbacks who started 17 games.
Denver’s offense also surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for the first time since 2021, underscoring the impact of the two nominees.
Despite those numbers, the new award ultimately went elsewhere.
Broncos Defense Comes Up Short at NFL Honors
Denver also failed to secure any defensive awards, despite a strong season on that side of the ball.
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto finished as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year after recording 14 sacks.
He earned a Pro Bowl nod and landed on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Pro team.
Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett claimed the award after breaking the single-season sack record with 23 in 2025.
Bonitto ultimately finished fourth in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
While most agree Garrett was a deserving winner, Bonitto’s fourth-place finish underscored a season-long pattern of the Broncos being undervalued.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph also came up just short, finishing second in voting for Assistant Coach of the Year.
The award went to New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Joseph’s defense ranked first in the NFL in sacks with 68, second in yards allowed per game, and third in points allowed.
The Denver Broncos left NFL Honors without winning an award, and whether you agree with the results or not, it reflected how the team was viewed all season.
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