Broncos lose Garett Bolles for season to broken leg

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After botching so many things within their control, now the things beyond the control of Denver’s offense are spiraling, too.

“Injuries are things that, as a coach, I can’t control. Especially the ones that we’re having,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said.

The latest blow came with the news that Garett Bolles’ broken right leg will end his season.

Bolles suffered the injury with just under four minutes left in regulation Thursday when his ankle got rolled awkwardly in a pile of players during a 3-yard Mike Boone run.

The 6-year veteran had proven to be quite durable over his career. In his first five seasons, he missed just four games, and only two were due to injury. He sat out one game last year on the COVID-19 reserve list and missed a game at Carolina in 2020 because of a stomach bug.

He will miss three times as many games — 12 — over the balance of the season.

Calvin Anderson filled in for Bolles Thursday night and is expected to start in his place. Anderson worked most of the offseason and preseason at right tackle, but lost the fill-in starting job there to Cameron Fleming.

Fleming made some spot starts at left tackle for New England and Dallas during the first five seasons of his career. The potential return of Billy Turner at right tackle could also give the Broncos the option to move Fleming to the left flank.

Four of Anderson’s five career starts came in fill-in work for Bolles, including three consecutive starts last November. In his work at left tackle in 2020 and 2021, Anderson allowed one pressure every 14.4 pass-rush snaps and didn’t allow a sack.

Denver’s offensive line has been inconsistent to date in 2022. While Bolles had a spate of holding penalties in Weeks 3 and 4, he appeared to be the Broncos’ most consistently effective offensive lineman.

Now they’ll have to function without him.

***