Last week, it was reported that starting left guard Ben Powers accepted a pay cut from the Denver Broncos. 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis reported that Powers accepted a restructured one-year deal that will leave him with less pay but a higher guarantee.
Well, now we have the details of that restructured deal for Ben Powers. According to Spotrac, Ben Powers signed a one-year, $6 million dollar deal that includes $5 million dollars guaranteed and another $2 million available via incentives. They state that this new deal freed up $7.5 million dollars in cap space for the Broncos, leaving them with $37,693,906 currently, which is the 6th highest in the NFL at the moment.
This extra cap space is beneficial for the Broncos because they have a few pending free agents they may want to lock up. As we know, cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian are pending free agents, as is starting safety Brandon Jones. They also have quarterback Bo Nix’s future deal coming up sooner rather than later, so any added cap space will be welcomed by the Broncos.
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As for Ben Powers, accepting a pay cut is a sign that we may have a competition at the left guard position. This is something I thought could be in play all offseason, and I believe that this is a sign pointing to that. Versatile backup Alex Palczewski, who signed an extension with the team this offseason, played well at left guard last season and has earned the right to compete for that job. The team also drafted former Boise State left tackle Kage Casey in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is shifting inside for the Broncos and is expected to focus on the left guard position. Rookies can be plug-and-play players along the offensive line, so he could be someone to watch for that job as well.
With that said, we haven’t been told that a left guard competition is happening, and I believe when camp officially opens today, Ben Powers (if fully healthy) will be out there with the first-team offense. If he’s still sidelined or they’re rotating players in and out of that position, then we have something to talk about.
