The NFL has a new award for offensive linemen, and the Denver Broncos have two prime candidates to win it. It’s called the “Protector of the Year” award, and the Denver Broncos placed guard Quinn Meinerz and tackle Garrett Bolles among the six finalists who will compete forthe inaugural version. The news and details were reported by NFL.com, with Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk adding details about the Denver candidates.
The award has been championed by Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins in recent years, and the winner will be announced at NFL Honors during Super Bowl week in Santa Clara.
The panel who will be doing the voting makes this award look very legit, at least on the surface. It consists of a group of former offensive linemen that includes Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, New Orleans Saints center LeCharles Bentley, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, New York Giants guard Shaun O’Hara, Chicago Bears tackle Orlando Pace, Kansas Chiefs guard Will Shields, and Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth.
The finalists are equally impressive. They include Meinerz and Bolles, along with Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell, and left guard Joe Thuney.
No details on the voting process were released—e.g., presumably there won't be reputation votes or votes for franchise favorites when voters played for the same team as a candidate— but according to NFL.com, the award will be based on performance exclusively during the 2025 season. The league also listed these six criteria, though no further information was listed about specific metrics, grading, etc.:
1 Quality of competition (quality and consistency of defensive fronts faced)
2 Availability to teammates (presence on the field, leadership)
3 Durability (ability to meet the physical demands of the season)
4 Weekly consistency (sustained performance across the full schedule)
5 Video validation (film review confirming execution, technique, and situational impact)
6 Football analytics (advanced metrics tied to pass protection, run blocking, discipline, and team efficiency)
"The offensive line carries the weight of the game. Durability, endurance, leadership and consistency define their work, even when the spotlight rarely finds them," said Troy Vincent Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations. "Protector of the Year is about recognizing the vital role these tremendous athletes play and celebrating excellence where it starts, up front."
Regardless of the criteria, both Denver lineman stand a strong chance of winning this award, although some of the other names are more recognizable to casual NFL fans. Both Meinerz and Bolles were named to the AP's First-Team All-Pro roster recently, Meinerz for the second time and Bolles for the first. They anchored a line that ended up within a field goal of a Super Bow berth, so their chances are presumably increased by both their individual honors and the Broncos' performance as a whole.