ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — General manager George Paton signed a five-year contract with the Denver Broncos on Friday that runs through the 2030 season.
Paton had a year left on his contract when he signed the new deal, which owner and CEO Greg Penner said “reflects our confidence in his leadership, vision and the overall direction of our team.”
Penner praised Paton’s “forming (of) a collaborative and supportive partnership with Sean Payton,” the head coach of the Broncos, who reached the AFC championship last year but lost to New England with quarterback Bo Nix sidelined by a broken ankle.
“I’ve enjoyed working with George over the last four seasons and appreciate the alignment we share in positioning the Broncos for sustained success,” Penner said.
Paton joined the Broncos in 2021 after a 14-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings. He replaced John Elway as GM.
He bounced back after the poor pairing of coach Nathaniel Hackett (fired less than a year into the job) and quarterback Russell Wilson (released before a mega contract even kicked in, saddling the team with a record dead cap hit of $85 million).
The Broncos had a quiet offseason after securing 17 of their own players with a combined $320.5 million guaranteed at signing since the start of training camp in 2024. Paton’s biggest splash was acquiring speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from Miami in exchange for Denver’s first-round pick in last month’s NFL draft.
Since Payton’s first season in 2023, the Broncos have averaged 11 wins a season and earned back-to-back playoff berths and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs last year. They beat Buffalo in overtime in the divisional round but lost Nix. He was replaced by Jarret Stidham, who made a trio of big blunders as the Broncos lost the AFC title game 10-7.
Only the Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, with 25 wins each, have won more games over the last two regular seasons than the Broncos, who have won 24. They captured their first AFC West title in a decade last year.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl