If Broncos need an emergency center, Quinn Meinerz is ready

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When Broncos offensive lineman Michael Deiter left on a cart during Tuesday’s practice, it dealt another injury blow to a position group that could scarcely afford it.

Yes, it’s August and the Broncos’ regular-season opener is over a month away. But injuries to three centers in the first two weeks of training camp is at minimum unfortunate, and has the potential to become a significant problem if any of them linger — particularly to starter Luke Wattenberg and understudy Alex Forsyth, who has been called upon to start in each of the last two seasons.

For now, Calvin Throckmorton and rookie Gavin Ortega are set to handle the work.

But Quinn Meinerz — who last worked at center in the 2021 preseason but was seen working on some snaps off to the side in Tuesday’s practice after Deiter’s injury — stands at the ready, just in case.

“I think we have enough options,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about the possibility of Meinerz getting some repetitions at center.

But if needed, Meinerz stays prepared.

“I sharpen that tool every single year just in case I gotta have it in the back pocket, he said. “I know that it’s important to add that value to the offensive line room in an emergency situation.”

“Even last year against the Chargers at the end of the year, I was technically one snap away from having to go in and play some center. So, I always keep that tool sharpened in case I have to.”

To add to that, Meinerz says that he prepares for his work at right guard, where he’s a two-time All-Pro, as though he’s working at center.

“I learn the offense consistently from a center’s perspective,” Meinerz explained. “As a guard, if you can understand our scheme from a center’s perspective, it’ll allow you to identify the defense quicker, or a new center comes in — a younger guy or someone that’s played guard and played center — I can help them identify the ‘mike’ (middle linebacker) and stuff like that.”

Meinerz began preparing like that as a rookie, when he got some looks at center in the preseason after working there during the 2021 Senior Bowl practices. It was the Broncos’ offensive-line coach at the time, Mike Munchak, who got Meinerz to think in terms of preparing like the offensive lineman who has to know the most about defensive identification and helping the line get set pre-snap.

“Forcing me to play center, it forced me to study a playbook like I’ve never studied before, where I got to know every single play against six different fronts,” Meinerz said. “Because at that point, I was against (then-coach Vic) Fangio’s defense, and Fangio has a bunch of different fronts. So, I learned very quickly how to study how to study and how to be smart in that sense of identifying defenses and getting us all on the same page.

“And at the end of the day, even if you make the wrong ‘mike’ point, as long as the boys are on the same page, we’ll get some yards.”

That preparation helps Meinerz and teammates. And it makes him ready as the deep contingency plan at center.

MEANWHILE, PAT BRYANT CONTINUES TO PACE BRONCOS RECEIVING ATTACK

Once again, Pat Bryant found the end zone Tuesday, grabbing a touchdown pass from Bo Nix on a third-and-10 play. Bryant’s red-zone effectiveness has been one of the most positive developments of training camp for the Broncos, but the ways in which he’s impressed teammates don’t stop there.

Just ask edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who was asked about offensive players doing well so far. The name he quickly mentioned was that of the 2025 third-round pick.

“Pat Bryant, man, I mean, he’s a guy who literally can do everything on the field, whether it comes to blocking — you see he’s making amazing play after amazing play every day he’s out here — and just his route, running all the things that he does for the offense,” Bonitto said.

Bryant appears to have the lead in the race for the Broncos’ No. 3 receiver — even though Payton has bristled at putting WR1/WR2/WR3/WR4 designations on his receivers. But the way to measure such statuses will likely be by target share and receptions.

Based on what’s been seen so far, Bryant has the lead.

For more from Tuesday’s Broncos work, watch the embedded video.

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