Bo Nix draws praise from every corner as Broncos buzz builds around his return after broken ankle originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Denver is running it back. The Broncos will open 2026 with 21 of their 22 projected starters returning, and the offensive line stays fully intact for a third straight year. No one embodies that stability better than Garett Bolles. The left tackle is the club's longest-serving player, now beginning his 10th year in Denver, and his 133 career starts rank fifth among offensive linemen in franchise history. He added first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections to his résumé a season ago. Bolles talks, and the locker room pays attention. So his read on quarterback Bo Nix, entering his third year as the starter, and Davis Webb, calling plays for the first time this fall, carries weight. Speaking after Tuesday's practice at Broncos Park, Bolles said Nix has "never changed from the minute he's stepped in this building," crediting his approach, his rehab, and his poise. Nix is coming back from a broken ankle, and the veteran tackle sees no slip in how he operates. Webb, meanwhile, earned praise for his three preseason games running the offense. "I love him," Bolles said of the new play-caller, adding that Webb "just brings that juice that we need." Ben Powers Takes a Pay Cut as Plummer and Jennings Back Nix's Rise That line stability came at a price for at least one starter. Left guard Ben Powers agreed to reshuffle his deal and accept a sizable pay reduction to stay in Denver for 2026. His 2025 was brutal: a torn biceps cost him nine games, and he gutted out the last five contests on a bad foot. Bolles has lined up beside Powers more often than any left guard he has played next to, and he called himself "extremely grateful" for it. "He makes my life so much easier," Bolles said, framing the partnership as a shared duty to keep each other upright. Belief in Nix stretches well past the locker room. Former Denver quarterback Jake Plummer, speaking Wednesday at a USAA boot camp held at the team's facility, waved off any worry about the ankle. "I think we're going to see the same Bo we've seen," Plummer said, praising Nix's football smarts, pocket poise, and underrated escapability. He wants the young passer to lean on anticipation more this fall rather than firing every throw at full velocity. The optimism reached television, too. On First Things First, ex-receiver Greg Jennings picked Nix, now 26, to climb another level and tabbed Denver a real contender. "Bo Nix, I think he'll take a jump," Jennings said. He also flagged the return of running back J.K. Dobbins, who was flourishing before an injury cut his season short, as a genuine boost. For a roster this untouched, the goal is no longer just to compete. More NFL news:
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