The Broncos kicked off training camp with plenty of energy. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix wasted no time grabbing the spotlight, impressing early. But while the excitement around the quarterback was real, there was also a noticeable cloud hanging over camp, starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s unexpected absence, which raised a few eyebrows. He had already missed two days of training camp, but the reason for his absence remained unclear.

It wasn’t until later that head coach Sean Payton finally shed some light on the situation. “He should be returning, I’m going to say, either tomorrow or Monday. We’ll keep you posted. No announcements,” Payton said. It’s not often that the coach talks about a player’s injuries.  While his words gave assurances, the unexpected absence also caused a stir.

In the latest episode of Locked on Broncos, Sayre Bedinger raised the same question. “As the Broncos ramp up into sort of their work with pads on and the more football-related stuff, you expect guys to get off days, you expect guys to be monitored and Mike McGlinchey has it, you know, an injury history in the NFL and so he might be one of those guys that they monitor a little bit more closely at this time of year or maybe he’s dealing with something. We just really don’t know. But what we do know is that he’s expected to be out there on the field for either Saturday’s practice or Monday’s practice,” he said.

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It’s unclear why the Offensive tackle has missed the last couple of practices, but his absence has given the Broncos a chance to look at Alex Palczewski with the first-team offense. Palczewski saw some game time last season when McGlinchey was sidelined. And, he turned out to be quite impressive. But he wasn’t considered quite ready for a full-time tackle role yet. Instead, there is a simmering belief within the camp that he may project better as a guard.

If Palczewski shows growth, it’d be a big plus for the Denver Broncos. Given McGlinchey’s injury history, having a reliable backup ready to go is essential for the team. Back in 2021, he had torn his quadriceps, which saw him get sidelined. He had to sit out for the rest of the season. That said, the entire offensive line had a rough outing Friday, with Bo Nix constantly under pressure. So there’s still plenty of work to be done.

The key question is whether Palczewski can show enough promise. But one thing is certain. With one of the league’s most expensive O-lines, the Broncos may look to get younger and cheaper, especially if McGlinchey’s performance doesn’t match his contract.

The Denver Broncos have a reason to celebrate!

The Broncos made interesting additions to their offensive line this season. The SFA staff recently ranked Denver’s offensive line second overall in the NFL. The team was second only to the Philadelphia Eagles. No surprises there. Now, that’s a major vote of confidence in the unit, and it’s not hard to see why the analysts were impressed.

The Broncos are bringing back almost every key piece from last year’s offensive line, including stalwart left tackle Garett Bolles. Denver’s offensive line looked technically sound in 2024, and it’s clear the SFA believes that trend will continue in 2025. Interestingly, despite their strong offensive line ranking, the Broncos tied for 19th overall in team rankings with the Las Vegas Raiders.

That said, Denver jumped up nearly 10 spots from last year, which shows just how much improvement the staff saw in key areas, including quarterback play. Nix might still be a work in progress, but there’s a feeling he’s starting to earn trust inside of the locker room, as well as the front office.

Expectations are starting to rise. While it might be too soon to put Nix in the top ten quarterback conversation, the jump in SFA’s rankings hinted that the hype isn’t completely wrong. With one of the best offensive lines in football and a young QB starting to turn the corner, can we expect the Broncos to surprise a lot of people this season?