For the first time since 2017, an NFL Franchise is being put up for sale and it is the Denver Broncos. The current owners are the Pat Bowlen Trust, who were appointed this position when Mr. Bowlen died in 2019.
The organization is one of the strongest and most decorated in the National Football League, winning three Super Bowls in seven appearances under Bowlen's administration which started when he bought the team in 1984. The 40-year old bought his organization for only $78 million dollars at the time, and has turned it into a $3.75 billion asset and is expected to be sold for over $4 billion, making a pretty good markup for the three trustees of his estate.
The most recent purchase of an NFL team was the Carolina Panthers for a then-record $2.275 billion to David Tepper in 2017. While it is expected that every team's net worth will increase as time goes by due to inflation and continual rise of NFL advertising and market worth, the Broncos are more competitive currently than the Panthers were at the time of the sale. They are also located in a better market city of Denver, and their franchise success is much greater than that of the Panthers.
It is unclear as to how many offers the Pat Bowlen Trust has fielded thus far and when a sale could be finalized, but when it is it will become the record breaking sale for any NFL franchise and for any United States professional sports team ever, which belongs to the sale of the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 for $2.35 billion to Joe Tsai.
The Broncos are in the middle of a franchise crisis at the moment, as their apparent search for a new quarterback has linked them with the superstar Aaron Rodgers in recent weeks. The team also just hired a new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett, the former offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.
Another interesting spin to this story is the recent lawsuit against the franchise by Brian Flores, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins who has named the Broncos, as well as several other parties including the Miami Dolphins as defendants. The lawsuit is very recent and thus not all the facts are clear, but the basis behind the accusations of the lawsuit is racial prejudice in hiring processes when it comes to the former head coach and accuser.
It's 50/50 whether the Broncos future will be filled with success or entering a period of uncertainty, but the news of a sale and the possible new ownership of the team will be a huge part in that future where ever it may lead.
Check out fansonlysportz.com for more sports media content.
-Z.D.
Comments