Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz announced his withdrawal from the Pro Bowl for personal reasons, according to a report from Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
While the “personal reasons” part of this does stick out a little, this kind of withdrawal isn’t unusual at all, especially for an offensive lineman like Meinerz. He withdrew last year, after all, based on the fact that he was named as an alternate, but he didn’t explain or hint at the “personal reasons” for his withdrawal this year.
The Pro Bowl is now a glitzy event designed to showcase seven-on-seven players, and that’s not Meinerz’s game at all. He’s tough interior lineman who plays at a high level, so there’s no real reason for him to want to be part of this kind of event.
His withdrawal could also be based in part on the toll of a long season. Like his Broncos teammates, Meinerz ended up playing an extra pair of games, and the combination of being beat up from all the wear and tear plus the disappointment of not getting to play a third extra game could be a factor as well. Meinerz played in every game of the season this year, although he did miss part of the Nov. 6 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders due to an illness, according to Tomasson.
There is another event Meinerz would love to be present for, however. He was named a finalist for the NFL’s inaugural version of the Protector of the Year award for offensive lineman, along with Broncos tackle Garrett Bolles. There are six finalists, and while the presence of two Denver lineman would seem to detract from their individual chances, their presence does speak to the strength of the line as a whole.
If Meinerz does turn up for the Protector of the Year award, it will be interesting to see if he offers any comments on all the Broncos turmoil following their disappointing 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Coach Sean Payton immediately fired three coaches after the game, and while none of the firings will affect the offensive line directly, Payton’s desire to improve the run game was well known around the team and the league, and to some extent it does reflect on the offensive line’s performance.
It will also be intriguing to see which players comment first about quarterback Bo Nix’s broken ankle, as Payton revealed some medical information that almost certainly should have stayed under wraps.