It’s the first play of the fourth quarter in New Orleans, and Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles slams his right hand into Chase Young’s chest. Young lost his balance, even his dignity, as he fell face first into the grass.

Bolles is sculpted for the job of bodyguarding quarterback Bo Nix. After an awkward start to his career, he overcame incessant boos and numerous flags to emerge as a team leader.

But when he looks at the line of scrimmage on Sunday, will he see his future? About 15 yards back, in plain view, will be Justin Simmons. He was the Broncos’ most accomplished player over the previous eight seasons.

He now helps anchor the Atlanta Falcons secondary, signing as a free agent after coach Sean Payton fired him in March. Simmons reacted to the news by return to the establishment and thank the staff.

This symbolized his character and gratitude. His family still lives in Denver, and Simmons admitted this week that he considers himself a “Bronco for life” even though he wears red and black.

Bolles really wants to succeed.

“I would love to finish here. The ball is not in my court. It’s in the front office’s camp, in Coach Payton’s camp and (offensive line) coach (Zach) Strief. My job is to play good football day in and day out. I don’t worry about what’s happening. They know I want to be here and finish my career here as a Denver Bronco,” Bolles told the Denver Post.

“I gave this organization everything I had. We have seven regular season games left, and it starts with Chapter 1 this week and I’m going to do everything I can to help our team win. They know where the ball is. It’s up to them to decide what they want to do with it. »

Simmons’ exit left Bolles as the longest-tenured Bronco. His resume is measured in accomplishments – Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, community service – and quarterbacks. Bolles has played with all 14 starters since Peyton Manning retired. He swore his loyalty to each of them.

Bolles will be a free agent at the end of the season, his eighth with the Broncos. He faces an uncertain future in Denver. He shouldn’t. The Broncos can’t afford to lose him. For all the similarities to Simmons, Bolles’ situation is different.

Simmons plays as free safety, a position that Payton, along with the rest of the NFL, considered a luxury this past offseason. Cutting Simmons saved the Broncos $14.5 million in salary cap space. But it wasn’t so much about money as it was about philosophy. Payton no longer wanted a ball-selling center fielder but a big hitter, adding Brandon Jones for a fraction of the cost ($3.3 million in 2024).

Bolles is in a prime position and continues to perform at a high level. This cannot be easily dismissed. Although penalties still haunt him – he has nine, tied for third in the NFL – he has allowed one sack this season. He goes weeks between giving in to pressure.

Bolles still has the goods. But do the Broncos think he’s good enough to keep him? That would likely require a three-year deal worth around $66 million. That’s the going rate for a top-10 tackle. And this is where Bolles fails by any objective measure.

Would Denver really gamble with Nix’s development by choosing a younger, cheaper player to protect their blindside? This is not recommended, but it is possible.

The Broncos have had several opportunities to extend Bolles’ contract over the past nine months. There was no ruckus. Only crickets. They could have done this before trading Baron Browning if they wanted financial wiggle room. They could have done this in September before adding voidable years to Courtland Sutton’s contract to create salary cap space.

They could have done it just to do it. But it’s mid-November and the Broncos’ posture suggests they’re either a) willing to let Bolles test the market or b) willing to move forward without him.

This carries a huge risk when considering the free agent tackle class, existing roster options and the upcoming draft. Yes, Bolles is 32, but he has more tread on the tires than his age suggests after switching to offense in college and playing just one season at Utah.