Ben Powers
Getty
Denver Broncos offensive lineman Ben Powers.
The Denver Broncos seem to have coughed up big money to spread across their entire starting offensive line — see the huge contracts signed by center Luke Wattenberg, guard Quinn Meinerz, and left offensive tackle Garett Bolles in the last 2 years.
It’s mostly been worth it. The Broncos are solidified as AFC contenders for the next few years, seemingly, and a big part of that is how they play up front.
Imagine what will happen when they can get some production from another highly-paid offensive lineman — guard Ben Powers — who has done little to justify the 4-year, $51.5 million contract extension he signed in March 2023.
Powers’ struggles — he missed 9 games due to injury in 2025 — helped land him at the top of Bleacher Report’s list of the NFL’s “Most Overpaid Players” after the glut of NFL free agency signings over the last month.
“Denver’s offensive line is fantastic, but Powers is clearly the weakest link,” B/R’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “The left guard is a replacement-level player who missed significant time due to injury in 2025 and is entering his age-30 campaign with no Pro Bowl nods on his resume. His $18.2 million cap hit for 2026 is the ninth-highest at the position.”
Contracts Handled Better Under Sean Payton
The Broncos have mostly avoided any catastrophic contracts since head coach Sean Payton was hired before the 2023 season.
A lot of that is because they’ve had to be extra careful over the last 2 years, with $85 million in dead cap money spread over 2024 and 2025 from the Russell Wilson contract.
One contract the Broncos need to get off the books as soon as possible is Powers, who was the fourth-biggest cap hit on the roster in 2025 at $17.25 million.
Even though Powers started 34 consecutive games in 2023 and 2024, his 63.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024 put him 56th out of 138 eligible players at his position.
In 2025, Powers was worth, grading out with a 62.4 overall grade from PFF.
From Wichita to Big 12 to NFL Riches
Powers, 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, starred at Kapaun Mount Carmel High School in Wichita, Kansas, before playing 1 year for Butler Community College and 3 years for Oklahoma and was a consensus All-American in his final season in 2018.
before the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the 4th round (No. 123 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.
He played out his entire 4-year, $3.2 million rookie contract with the Ravens before he signed his big-money deal with the Broncos.