On April 27, 2017, Garett Bolles lifted his then 4-month-old son, Kingston, high into the air on stage after being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round.
On Thursday, the Broncos ensured Kingston would spend his entire childhood in Denver. Bolles inked a four-year, $82 million contract extension with $42 million guaranteed.
"This is a dream come true," Bolles said, via the team's official website. "I grew up in this city. I became a man in this city as a football player, as a husband. And [to] get to be here long-term with my family, it means the world to me. I'm just so grateful for the [Walton-Penner family ownership group] -- and what an amazing ownership group we have."
The contract keeps Bolles in Denver through 2028, which would be his 12th NFL season.
The No. 20 overall pick in 2017 got off to a rocky start, with penalties and blown blocks characterizing his early career. However, he's turned things around to become one of the best blindside blockers in the game. Likely due to those early-career struggles, Bolles is often overlooked among OTs. He was named second-team All-Pro in 2020 but has yet to earn a Pro Bowl nod -- an error that should be remedied.
"It wasn't easy," Bolles said. "I didn't start off the way I wanted to start off here, but I get to finish how I want to finish. And just [to] get to be a Bronco for life, I'm just very grateful."
Solid as both a run and pass protector, Bolles ranks fourth among OTs in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus' metric and seventh in ESPN's pass block win rate rankings.
The Broncos were smart to lock down Bo Nix's blindside protector, keeping him off the market in 2025. Given the need around the league for offensive tackles, Bolles would have commanded a significant deal if he hit free agency.
The next order of business for Bolles: making his first playoff appearance.
"It means the world," Bolles said of being part of Denver's success. "All I wanted to do was win here, and win at the highest level, and play in the biggest games in the biggest moments with the biggest stars and the brightest lights. ... Just the culture that we have here for so many years now, it's awesome to be where we're at. It's not over, it's not done [and] we still have a lot of work to do. But we're putting people in the right positions to be successful."
