ENGLEWOOD, Colo — To be simply brilliant is not an oxymoron but an artform.
See the Seinfeld sitcom, a show about nothing. And listen to how Quinn Meinerz explains things.
The Broncos’ powerful right guard was asked how running the ball 40 times a game, as the Broncos did in their 16-game skid-busting win against the Kansas City Chiefs nine days ago, leads to better pass protection.
“It makes it a ton easier. One, because there’s less opportunities to pass the ball,’’ Meinerz said, laughing at how his answer did not overlook the obvious. He then got into a more technical, less obvious explanation. “When you’re attacking the defensive line most of the game, then you go into pass protection, it allows me to be a little bit more aggressive with my set.’’
Broncos vs. Von Miller
For the first time since he was traded away halfway through the 2021 season, the Broncos will be playing in a regular-season game against their former star pass rusher Von Miller this Monday night. The Broncos play in Buffalo, where Miller is off to a slow start in his comeback from a second ACL surgery as he has zero sacks in five games.
Miller had 110.0 of his 123.5 sacks in 10 ½ seasons with the Broncos. And that doesn’t include the 5.0 combined sacks against New England in the 2015-season AFC Championship Game and Carolina in Super Bowl 50, a performance that earned him the Super Bowl 50 MVP Award.
“The name Von Miller speaks for itself,’’ said Meinerz, who played half his rookie season with Miller as his teammate. “He’s a phenomenal player. I think it’s going to be cool to be sharing the field against him. He’s probably excited, or whatever, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to go against the entire Bills defense, and they’ve got a great defense over there.”
Said cornerback Pat Surtain, who led the Broncos’ 2021 draft class: “Von was a great teammate, a great leader, a great mentor. I’m looking forward to seeing him again on the field. Obviously, it’s going to be different not seeing him in orange and blue but it’s going to be great seeing him overall.”
Players impressed by new project
Meinerz is one of the current Broncos who figures to still be around to help unveil the team’s new $175 million headquarters in 2026 – providing he and the team can work out a contract extension before he is eligible for free agency in 2025.
“It looks incredible,’’ he said. “The ownership group has been nothing short of incredible here. They’ve consistently invested in not only us as players but also with the fan experience at the stadium. … The pictures look really cool, and I can’t even imagine what it’s going to look like. It’s a very massive project.”
Is there an advantage for a team to have great facilities?
“Tons of advantages,’’ Meinerz said. “Everything’s going to be state of the art, based on science. That’s a big thing with how we approach many things around here: Is it backed by science? So having a facility like that where it’s all in one place can only be to our benefit.’’
Surtain is another player who should be here in 2026. The cornerback was the Broncos’ first-round draft pick in 2021, which means even in the unlikely event the team doesn’t eventually work out a new contract extension, he can still receive a fifth-year option for 2025 and a franchise-tag in 2026. Contract or no contract, Surtain should be here for years to come. He, too, is impressed by the team’s go-ahead for a new facility.
“It’s a testament to the ownership group and how much they value us and how much they’re invested in the team,’’ Surtain said. “And making sure the players get the best of the best. A big shoutout goes to them in starting that construction and starting that building phase. That’s a big thing we’ve got going on for the future and I’m very excited for it.”
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