The short- and long-term future of the Broncos franchise remains in a state of flux. New General Manager George Paton, however, won’t be fluxed out of significant compensation if he ends up out of a job.
It’s a six-year contract for Paton, and it makes a ton of sense. No one knows whether the Broncos will ultimately be controlled by Brittany Bowlen or whether the team will be sold. If the team is sold within the next few years, the new owners will have to keep Paton or write him a sizable check.
Plenty of twists and turns remain, with pending litigation that needs to be resolved before bigger moves are made, whether it’s the appointment of Brittany Bowlen as the controlling owner, an effort to buy out any family members not on board with Brittany Bowlen taking over, or a full-blown sale to a new ownership group. However it plays out, Paton enters with protection against turmoil -- and with a chance to ultimately retain the position for years to come.
It won’t be easy to thrive in Denver, however, not with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City and Justin Herbert in L.A. Paton’s first order of business will be to get a clear, long-term answer at a position with which his long-time former team in Minnesota has struggled for years: Quarterback.