Denver Post Broncos writer Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season and periodically during the offseason. Click here to submit a question.
It’s great seeing the Chiefs dynasty (finally) crumble. Do you think they can reach the playoffs? Part of me wants to see us beat them properly in the postseason. But the other part of me wants to see them burn out at 6-11.
— Ron, Westminster
Hey Ron, thanks for writing in and getting us going this week.
Kansas City’s loss Sunday night against Houston was striking for two reasons.
First, practically speaking, it eliminated the Chiefs from the AFC West race, meaning the nine-year run is over and the division will have a new champion for the first time since 2015.
Moreover, it was the first time it really crossed my mind that they may not make the playoffs at all. Even seeing the group’s clear limitations and offensive line injuries and the lack of running game and the defensive regression and all the rest, I always just kind of figured they’d reel off four or five straight wins at some point and find a way into the dance.
Those odds look dim now. According to the New York Times’ postseason odds calculator, the Chiefs have just a 12% chance of making the playoffs. Even if they win their last four — which would include beating Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers — they’d only get to 47%. There are a bunch of teams in play for those Wild Card spots. The current division leaders are Denver, New England, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. Five more non-first-place teams show higher postseason odds than KC: Buffalo, Houston, the Chargers, Indianapolis, and Baltimore.
As for flaming out and going 6-11, it’d be hard to blame Broncos fans for taking some joy in that. But consider the fact that each loss from here means a better draft pick for Kansas City. Perhaps 9-8 and left out of the postseason is the ultimate Broncos fan result for the dethroned division king.
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Wondering why I never hear anything about Drew Sanders and his recovery. Do the Broncos plan on adding him to their active roster at any point this season?
— John Bundy, Denver
I asked Sean Payton about the third-year, oft-injured linebacker a couple of weeks ago and he indicated that Denver does, indeed, still think he’s going to be back this season. The way Payton described the return timeline was fairly vague, but that’s what they’re saying.
It’s obviously been a long road back for Sanders, who tore a tendon in his foot during training camp. The injury required surgery. At the time, Payton only said Sanders’ return timeline would be more than 4-6 weeks. Turns out, it’s been four-plus months.
Sanders in recent weeks has been working out on the Broncos’ side field, so he’s mostly around the team.
Even when he does return, there’s an open question about just how effective he might be. Sanders, a third-round pick in 2023, has lost so much developmental time, but it’s clear the type of athlete he is. Last year he missed all but four games due to a torn Achilles in the spring and then he sacked Justin Herbert on his first defensive snap of the season.
The first step is for Sanders to start practicing. Once his practice window opens, the Broncos will have 21 days to activate him to the roster. If he’s got a chance to play in the regular season, that step would be coming pretty soon.
Even then, it’s not like a rotation spot is just begging to be taken. Sanders was back to inside linebacker during training camp before the injury. Right now, coordinator Vance Joseph is looking for ways to get some snaps for Justin Strnad, who is playing at a high level but stuck behind Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw. Sanders has played on the edge, too, but Denver’s got a deep room there and has a player in rookie Que Robinson whom the staff feels perfectly comfortable throwing on the field and yet most weeks there’s not a jersey for him.
Hello from wet and dark Finland! Is there any news about Ben Powers returning to the lineup? I think he would give a little boost to the run game.
— Jude, Lahti, Finland
Yo Jude, thanks as always for writing. How does a 10-game Broncos heater do in adding some brightness to the cold, dark north this time of year?
Powers was indeed playing well when he tore his left bicep in early October and his return at the very least gives Denver options. If he jumps right back into form, you’re right, he could be a boost. The Broncos have an interesting call to make at left guard where Alex Palczewski has mostly played well in Powers’ absence. He might also be the longer-term answer there, though Powers is under contract for 2026 and is clearly a trusted, respected player in the building.
For the shorter run, though, Denver will be glad to have Powers back in the mix.
He’s been out on the side field working out and sources have indicated his recovery’s been on track throughout the process. Originally, he and the team were hoping for somewhere in the neighborhood of two months to 10 weeks. Two months from surgery arrived Saturday and 10 weeks is next Monday.
Again, no guarantee Powers returns to practice and is immediately back on the field, but it wouldn’t be a big surprise if his 21-day practice window opens soon.
Hey Parker, any reason why we have so few defensive takeaways? We only have 10 on the season and that’s near the bottom of the league. I just find it fascinating considering our defense is so stout.
— Mike, Denver
Hey Mike, that’s a great question. Obviously, luck plays at least some factor. The Broncos defense has also had a whole raft of near interceptions — a handful from safety Talanoa Hufanga, a pair (including overtime at Washington) from rookie Jahade Barron and others like linebacker Alex Singleton. A ball even hit one big Zach Allen paw on Sunday and somehow found its way to the turf.
I don’t know if there’s a correlation, but the Broncos are simultaneously a very sure tackling team and also a group that doesn’t knock the ball out a ton in the run of play.
Vance Joseph’s preferred style of play also matters. The Broncos play a ton of man and they leave their corners one-on-one as much or more than any team in football. That’s worked very well for them, but it also means fewer players reading the quarterback’s eyes down-to-down and trying to make plays on the football. There isn’t always a safety to come over the top of a deep ball or snag an overthrow in the middle of the field because Denver more frequently than most has those guys covering, too, or pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
All of that said, 10 takeaways is still a low number. We’ll see if they can come up with a handful of big ones down the stretch.
Hey Parker, who do you think earns Pro Bowl honors this year? I feel like it’ll be Nik Bonitto, Quinn Meinerz, Zach Allen, Pat Surtain II and Marvin Mims Jr.
— Mark, Arvada
Hey Mark, thanks for writing in as always. Those all sound like good bets to me and I’d think there will be a couple more, too. When you win a ton of games, your players tend to get rewarded.
Perhaps safety Talanoa Hufanga? Fullback Adam Prentice will have a shot, especially if he keeps ripping off 18-yard gains on belly plays. Long snapper Mitch Fraboni could be in play, too. The guy, though, that makes the most sense to me outside your initial list is left tackle Garett Bolles. He’s playing great ball and is still a premier pass protector at 33 years old. He’s not just hanging on, either. He’s playing some of the best football of his career.
Not only that, but Bolles has never made a Pro Bowl. He struggled early in his career and, to the earlier point, he hasn’t played on true contending teams until last season and this one. But he’s an upper-echelon blindside protector on the team that’s tied for the best record in football. He should be a Pro Bowler.
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I was stoked to see Garett Bolles as our nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year. Do you think he can eventually be a Broncos Ring of Famer? I’ve been so impressed with his career arc, going from reviled to one of the most dependable LTs in the league (to say nothing of his life’s journey, which has been even more inspiring). Plus, he’s an outstanding teammate and community champion to boot.
— George, Seattle
Fully agreed on Bolles getting the Walter Payton Man of the Year nod for the second time in the past three seasons. He does outstanding and extensive work in the community and impacts several different groups of people — particularly kids in the juvenile justice system and with speech apraxia. Not only that, but every time he talks about that work, you can tell how much it means to him. It’s really impressive and not to be taken for granted.
As for the Ring of Fame, Bolles can certainly make it an interesting conversation. Start with the longevity. Bolles has started all 123 games he’s played for the Broncos. If he finishes off this regular season healthy, he’ll be at 127. That would give him a chance to crack the Broncos’ top 10 all-time for starts sometime in 2027. Obviously, that’s still quite far off in the future and injuries are part of the sport, but Bolles is under contract through 2028 and if he keeps playing like he is now, there’s no reason to think he can’t keep it rolling for a while.
Of Denver’s current top 10 in all-time starts, eight are Ring of Famers. Most of the players on that top 10 also have hardware. Super Bowls, All-Pros, Pro Bowls, etc.
That’s the part of Bolles’ ultimate on-field legacy in Denver that’s still taking shape and part of what makes him a compelling figure in general. Team success matters a whole lot and he’s finally seeing it here in the eighth and ninth years of his NFL career. Most guys at 33 years old don’t have a ton of chances left, but Bolles is perhaps a bit of an exception there.
So, is it a finished resume? Probably not, but continued high-level play and, say, a Super Bowl ring somewhere along the way in the next couple of years and Bolles will have a strong case.
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