Denver Broncos LT Garrett Bolles underwent an MRI after leaving Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury, per Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer. Both his MRI and X-Ray came back negative.
Bolles has been a staple of Denver’s offensive line, logging 100 starts after Denver selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2020, but he missed most of the 2022 season after suffering a broken leg. In his postgame press conference yesterday, head coach Sean Payton expressed optimism Bolles would be “fine,” and that it was just a bruise, per Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. The fact that both MRI and X-Ray results were negative is a positive for his chances to get back on the field.
But given that he underwent both and missed the final two series against the Seahawks, with Gabriel reporting he was walking “gingerly,” it does cast a shadow of doubt on his chances to play against the Steelers. If it is a bone bruise, Bolles still could miss Sunday’s matchup, and it’ll really depend on how he feels leading up to the week and how much he’s able to practice.
With rookie QB Bo Nix, Bolles will be essential to stopping Pittsburgh’s pass rush, as he’ll primarily match up with Alex Highsmith on the left side. The Steelers’ pass rush was key to limiting Kirk Cousins in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, and it could be the same way next week with Nix under center, especially given that he has much less experience than Cousins does.
It could be an advantage that tilts the game in Pittsburgh’s favor, so Denver will really want to see their starting left tackle in Bolles out there on Sunday to help protect Nix, especially after a shaky performance in a Week 1 loss.
