Denver Broncos: What does the future hold for Garett Bolles?

Garett Bolles has not played to the ability of his first-round draft status quite yet. Is his future with the Denver Broncos in jeopardy?

2019 has been a rough year for Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles, to say the least. After four holding penalties were called against Bolles in the Broncos’ week two loss against the Chicago Bears, much of Broncos Country was ready to see Vic Fangio make a change at the left tackle position.

However, that did not happen, and Bolles remained the starter. Following the loss against Chicago, Bolles performed pretty well, and we did not hear his name much, which in his case was a good sign. However, he struggled again in Thursday Night’s loss versus the Chiefs, bringing his accepted hold total up to four this season, and that’s not even taking the declined holding penalties into account.

Since 2017, Bolles’ has had 18 accepted holding penalties against him. As of now, Bolles has four accepted holding penalties through seven games, compared to seven holding penalties apiece in 2017 and 2018 (per Pro Football Reference).

Bolles is currently on pace to potentially double his penalty count from 2017 and 2018.

Throughout his career, Bolles has been on the field for an average of 99% of all offensive snaps, a positive, because you can rely on him to be on the field. However, the Denver Broncos need more than just a reliable body on the field on Sunday, they need a left tackle who can provide steady and reliable play without committing too many penalties.

Which leads us to the question: What does Garett Bolles’ future with the Denver Broncos hold?

Due to the lack of depth along the offensive line, it is likely that Bolles will remain the starting left tackle for the remainder of the season unless the Broncos look to be buyers prior to the trade deadline. Since it’s unlikely that the Broncos are planning to trade Bolles, even if they were to find a trade partner, the best-case scenario would be some moving around and switching of positions when Ja’Wuan James is fully healthy.

However, there is no proof that this would prove any more effective.

Once the season is finished, John Elway and the Broncos will be forced to evaluate and make a decision on Bolles. This is a tough position for the front office, who may not be ready to admit yet that they missed on a first-round pick.

Bolles accounts for $3,008,764 of the Broncos’ salary cap, and the only offensive linemen to account for a larger cap hit is Ronald Leary, who is another player the Broncos may be looking to unload. 

It appears that the Broncos’ offensive line is in a dire situation, with the two most ineffective offensive linemen also costing the Denver Broncos the most money.

If the Broncos release Bolles after the season, they will be forced to eat a significant amount of his salary. However, if they wish to build up a good offensive line, they must confront the situation and either release Bolles or perhaps sign another player until he can develop more.

Bolles is liked in Denver by his teammates and coaches. Broncos Country should be rooting for this guy, especially since he is a former first-round pick.

However, the excuses for him are running out. He must learn to play with more discipline. If he cannot get things figured out, the Denver Broncos will need to reconsider his future with the team.