ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For $87.5 million, the Denver Broncos are investing heavily to fix their right tackle position.
A source confirmed the Broncos reached a five-year, $87.5 million contract agreement Monday with former San Fransico 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
All deals cannot become signed until 2 p.m. Wednesday with the official start of the NFL 2023 season.
A first-round pick, No. 9 overall, in the 2018 draft after five years at Notre Dame, McGlinchey was the starting right tackle for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers from the jump.
He missed the second half of the 2021 season with a torn quad but played in all 20 games, counting the postseason, in 2022.
McGlinchey, 28, is tall by offensive standards at 6-foot-8 and weighs 310 pounds. Shanahan's offense is known for having its five offensive linemen move in unison in a zone-blocking scheme while the running back cuts back against the grain.
The Broncos earlier Monday closed a four-year, $52 million deal with former Ravens' left guard Ben Powers.
The $17.5 million annual average contract for McGlinchey and $13 million per year average for Powers gives Russell Wilson much needed protection after he tied the Bears' Justin Fields for the most sacks taken (55) last season.
This is the second time in four years the Broncos made a significant investment at their right tackle position. The first time didn't work out. In 2019, the Broncos made free agent Ja'Wuan James the NFL's highest-paid right tackle with a four-year, $52 million deal. In return, the oft-injured James played just one half of three games for the Broncos.
The Broncos have had 10 different starting right tackles to open the season in the past 10 years:
- 2022 – Cam Fleming/Billy Turner
- 2021 – Bobby Massie
- 2020 – Elijah Wilkinson/Demar Dotson
- 2019 – Ja’Wuan James/Elijah Wilkinson
- 2018 – Jared Veldheer
- 2017 – Menelik Watson
- 2016 – Donald Stephenson
- 2015 – Ryan Harris/Michael Schofield
- 2014 – Chris Clark
- 2013 – Orlando Franklin
McGlinchey will be the 11th right tackle in 11 years. But given what the Broncos paid him he better repeat as starter in 2024 and 2025 at least.
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