The Lead
On Saturday, the Broncos will host their first home playoff game in a decade.
An organization with championship tradition will be back in the spotlight, and Denver will have a chance to continue its march toward Super Bowl LX.
There are plenty of reasons why the top-seeded Broncos are set to host a Divisional Round game, ranging from a talented young quarterback, a slew of All-Pro players, a stingy defense, a Super Bowl-winning head coach and a front office that has assembled a talented and deep roster.
But, as Kyle Fredrickson from the Denver Gazette details in a recent piece, the Broncos' return to relevancy begins with the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group.
In an in-depth piece that touches on the culture that Owner & CEO Greg Penner, Owner Carrie Walton Penner and the rest of the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group have created, Fredrickson details the organization's commitment to building the right culture.
That, as Head Coach Sean Payton told The Gazette, includes being fully invested in what can help the Broncos win.
"Sometimes there are tough decisions. There's a pretty keen, even alignment as to how we see ourselves wanting to do business. I think that works really well," Payton said. "There's this feeling: 'Oh, this ownership group has a lot of money.' I don't think it's that at all. I think it's more about the questions. If this helps us win, we're interested. If this helps the individual have a better career after football, we're interested. If this helps us with mental health, we're interested. … Those are the things that separate us."
When the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group assumed control of the team, the Broncos had missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons. Just two years later, the Broncos had built a roster — and support system — that would go on to earn the team's first playoff berth since 2015. And in 2025, the Broncos have taken another step in winning the AFC West for the first time since their world championship season.
That transformation has occurred in large part because of the aforementioned commitment to winning.
"They're probably making the most investment out of anybody in football," defensive tackle Zach Allen told The Gazette. "I've got buddies on other teams and I'll text them. They'll ask what we do for recovery. I list all these things — and they haven't heard of half this stuff that we're doing. Any advantage we can get. As the player, individually, the owners are specifically helping us extend our careers, which is really valuable."
The Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group's commitment has translated into a new Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit; the announcement of a preferred site for a privately funded stadium and mixed-use district; a revamped alumni program; and an unprecedented philanthropic commitment through the ALL IN. ALL COVERED. program.
"These players really don't care about how much any of us know — until they know how much we care. I think [Carrie] does a great job of illustrating that," Payton told The Gazette. "The players know, long after they're done playing here, that this ownership group wants this relationship to be a healthy one. You'll always be a Bronco. That's difficult to achieve sometimes, and it's not the case around the league all the time."
The approach is clear, particularly to those who have spent an extended period of time with the organization. Pam Papsdorf is the organization's second-longest tenured employee and has been with the club since 1987. Papsdorf, who saw the team win three world championships, said the Broncos had the "best transition" possible when the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group arrived in 2022.
"They're not just owners in name," Papsdorf said. "They have a hand in everything that happens here."
