ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Once Sean Payton announced to the world who his starting quarterback would be, Bo Nix received dozens if not hundreds of texts and calls wishing him congratulations.
One of those calls came from the big boss, Broncos’ controlling owner Greg Penner.
“Had a great conversation with him,’’ Penner said in an interview with 9NEWS following the team’s groundbreaking ceremony for a $175 million practice facility and team headquarters that Penner and his ownership group are funding. “You know, all rookies are going to have some ups and downs in their first season, and we’re going to support him and just excited to see what he and this roster can do on the field.”
Think about this: Penner is really in his second full season as team owner. He and his group of investors closed on their franchise transaction in August 2022, too late to have a say on what turned out to be some of the worst moves in Broncos’ history: the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson and hiring of head coach Nathanial Hackett.
Penner stepped in late in that 2022 season. He fired Hackett and then replaced him with Payton, who is in his second year as Broncos head coach.
Now Nix is just starting his NFL career.
The owner, head coach and quarterback can grow this team together.
Initial impressions the owner has on the first-round rookie QB?
“Really impressed with his poise, confidence," Penner said. "Seeing what he can do in the first couple [preseason] games, it was great to see that.’’
It’s also Penner’s second year of managing the two football bosses, Payton and general manager George Paton.
“I think it’s important with the owner, GM and coach that that triangle works really well,’’ Penner said. “We’ve built trust and really good communication. I leave the football decisions and the coaching and picking players to the two of them. My role is really to support them, give them the resources they need, ask some tough questions and then be there when it’s time to make some critical decisions. And right now that’s working really well.”
The event Thursday morning at Broncos Park was Penner’s second groundbreaking ceremony in about a year. Walmart, the retail business where Penner serves as chairman of its board of directors, held one for their 350-acre campus headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, on March 30, 2023.
Walmart’s business is about giving customers a good deal and making a profit.
The football business is about winning.
“I’m encouraged coming out of training camp and what we saw,’’ Penner said. “I think it’s been a great offseason for us, getting this roster with the right mix of veterans and then excited about the rookies we’ve had come in. I think you’ve seen it in our practices, the energy has been high, competitive, lot of enthusiasm. We’ve got really high standards and we’re looking forward to seeing what the team can do.”
