Garett Bolles agrees to four-year extension

Garett Bolles has found his form. In Denver over the years, he found his place. And now, that place will remain his for perhaps the rest of his career.

The eight-year veteran agreed to a 4-year contract extension with the Broncos, officially bringing an end to questions about what the team might do at one of its core positions while also reaffirming the club’s faith in its 2017 first-round pick, who has gradually blossomed into one of the NFL’s better left tackles.

Broncos Country,

It’s been a great 8 years! Thanks for everything!

And …

I’m not leaving. The show goes on!

GB#BroncoForLife #4more #beatthecolts#probowlvote @gbolles72 pic.twitter.com/euYV4bAPp8

— Garett Bolles (@gbolles72) December 12, 2024

Bolles is 32 years old, but at left tackle, that can represent moving into his prime. The recent examples of standout blindside protectors like Jason Peters, Andrew Whitworth and Trent Williams demonstrate how left tackles can remain viable and successful deep into their 30s.

With Bolles, there’s another layer to it: the fact that he took up football relatively late in life and had a short college-football stint: two years at Snow (Utah) Junior College and a single season at the University of Utah. By the time the Broncos drafted him in 2017, he was already at the cusp of celebrating his 25th birthday, which he commemorated before he made his debut as a Week 1 rookie starter.

Struggles and holding penalties defined his early years, but when offensive-line coach Mike Munchak arrived in 2019, his form began to improve. By 2020, he was a second-team All-Pro — and recipient of a four-year contract extension, which came on the heels of the Broncos declining his fifth-year option after those early-career struggles.

The last four years weren’t always easy. Bolles had a solid 2021, but struggled in 2022 after then-coach Nathaniel Hackett unceremoniously dumped Munchak in favor of Butch Barry, whose verbally-aggressive style did not suit Bolles well. Bolles then suffered a fractured ankle five games into that season.

But the arrival of Sean Payton — and with him, offensive-line coaches Zach Strief and Austin King — changed the trajectory. Bolles responded to the more holistic and teaching-intensive instruction of Payton’s line coaches.

Last season, Bolles had the lowest rate of holding penalties in his career. This year, Bolles ranks seventh in the NFL in pass-block win rate, according to ESPN Analytics.

“Well, first and foremost … I think it’s very important that you build a relationship with Garett where he trusts (you),” Strief said in June.

“And for a player who’s had a lot of offensive-line coaches, he’s heard a lot of different ‘this-is-the-way-to-do-its.’ And so, you have a player with a lot of stuff in his head. He’s been told a lot of things are right a lot of things are wrong.

“… I thought we built a good relationship last year. I think he trusts me, and I think he trusts what we’re trying to do.”

Agreeing to a four-year extension shows how Bolles feels. He’s in the right place with the right people, and now the Broncos don’t have to worry about offensive tackle as they head into the offseason.