Ben Powers Takes Pay Cut to Stay in Denver, But His Starting Job Is Not Safe

Ben Powers accepted a significant pay cut to remain on the Broncos' roster as training camp opens Tuesday, but the financial relief masks a deeper organizational reality: the seven-year veteran is no longer a lock at left guard. Powers, entering the final year of his four-year, $52MM deal signed in 2023, negotiated down from a non-guaranteed $13MM salary while gaining additional guarantees—a classic move that signals both sides believe a prove-it year is necessary. The catch: he'll be fighting for his job immediately.

The injury cascade that undermined 2025 set the stage. Powers tore his biceps in Week 5 against Philadelphia and missed nine games. When he returned for Week 16 against Jacksonville, he suffered a Lisfranc injury—one so severe it required surgery after the season ended—but played through it for the final four games of the regular season and both playoff contests. The Lisfranc is not a minor ankle sprain. It's a ligament injury in the midfoot that typically demands months of rehab and can create chronic instability. Powers missed the entire offseason program while recovering, putting him at a significant conditioning and timing disadvantage heading into camp.

Alex Palczewski, the backup who started nine games in Powers' absence last year, represents the real threat to his job security. The Broncos re-signed Palczewski to a two-year, $9.5MM contract in restricted free agency and have publicly identified him as a future starter. That contract structure and the public positioning are not accident—they're institutional signals that Denver views Palczewski as the long-term answer at the position, with 2026 potentially serving as a final audition for Powers rather than a redemption narrative. If Palczewski performs competently in camp and the preseason, the team has both a financial and philosophical reason to move on.

For betting purposes, the uncertainty at left guard ripples through Denver's offensive line health and continuity. Offensive line injuries are among the highest-correlation factors to sack rate and pressure rate; a starting left guard battling back from foot surgery and competing for snaps introduces volatility into pass-protection metrics. If Powers loses the job or sees his workload limited to a timeshare, the Broncos' ability to execute their blocking schemes deteriorates. Watch for line movement on Denver's total wins and passing yards lines in the preseason—if Palczewski impresses, expect those totals to compress slightly as the market reprices pass-protection risk. Powers' inclusion in camp depth charts and snap counts in Week 1 and 2 of the preseason will be the clearest tell of whether this is a genuine competition or a coronation delay.