Last year, the Denver Broncos’ ownership group had their first opportunity to hire an NFL head coach, and they swung big.
Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner struck a deal with Sean Payton and he gave GM George Paton permission to trade draft assets to acquire the coach. Then he made Payton the highest-paid coach in American sports.
Penner is all-in on Payton, and he believes the coach can turn the franchise around after eight seasons of missing the playoffs.
“I do think he’s energized,” Penner said last week. “Any time going into Year 2 is going to be a little bit easier than the first year where you’ve come into an organization, you understand the organization, the history, the fans.
“He, George and myself, have developed a real sense of partnership and respect and communication. He’s had a chance to reshape the roster in a way that he’s really excited about. It’s great to see his approach.”
Denver went 8-9 in Payton’s first season. It was a step forward — that was the Broncos’ best record in seven years — but it wasn’t enough to reach the playoffs. Now entering Year 2 with Payton in charge, Penner has high expectations for his team.
“I’m encouraged by what I saw in training camp,” the owner said. “You go back to when I spoke after the season. I said this was going to be a critical offseason. It’s obviously too early to declare success, but I’ve been really impressed with what Sean and George have done this offseason with the veteran players we brought in through free agency or trades or approached the draft, what we did there.
“From the first day of OTAs, just the enthusiasm, the competitiveness. I mean, I’m sure you guys could hear it on the field. It was different and that carried through to training camp. That passion and intensity, we saw it in the preseason games. It’s a young team, but I’ve got high expectations for what we can accomplish.”
Payton, 60, is under contract with the Broncos through the 2027 season. We’ll see if he can get Denver back to the postseason before that deal expires.
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