Greg Penner, owner and CEO on the Denver Broncos, attends a game on October 12, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 19 to 8 during week 6 of the NFL regular season at GEHA Field at Arrowhead. ORLANDO, Fla. — Greg Penner walks into the Ritz as the smartest person in the lobby. One of his greatest strengths is that he never lets anyone know it or acts like it.
The Broncos finished last season with their noses pressed against the playoff windowpane for the eighth consecutive year. It brought a transition that looks like a rebuild after absorbing a $53 million cap hit on Russell Wilson this season and cutting star safety Justin Simmons.“The way I frame it is we are building this thing for sustained success. That does mean this offseason making some tough choices.
Penner cares about player wellness, about Broncos Country, but in a business with a scoreboard, he cares most about winning. While an 8-9 record was not deemed successful, the seismic cultural shift and improved health under Payton resonated with Penner. Since the Walton-Penner group took over, they have done a lot right. They poured $100 million into Empower Field upgrades, spearheaded a, paid $400,000 for new sod for the final game of the 2022 season , are replacing the turf at Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, and will break ground either this spring or late summer on a new state-of-the-art training facility.“It’s a complex, long-term decision. We haven’t taken any options off the table at this point, including the current site.