The Denver Broncos have agreed to a five-year extension with general manager George Paton that will run through the 2030 season, the team announced.
Per the report, Paton, 56, was entering the final year of the original six-year contract he signed when hired in 2021. Coach Sean Payton has praised Paton as an integral part of the club’s leadership and, according to the report, lobbied owner and CEO Greg Penner earlier this year to secure an extension.
In a statement, Penner said the deal reflects confidence in Paton’s leadership, vision and the team’s direction. Penner added that Paton has shown a strong commitment to building a competitive roster and has developed a collaborative working relationship with Payton, and that he has appreciated their alignment over the last four seasons, the report says.
The report notes Paton’s tenure has included significant roster moves and challenges. Early in his time with the team, the Broncos completed a high-profile trade for quarterback Russell Wilson and later dealt with a then-record $85 million in dead money after Wilson’s release, along with a change in ownership. Last season the Broncos finished 14-3, tied for the best record in the NFL, but fell 10-7 to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, per the report.
During Paton’s time as general manager, the team drafted four players who went on to earn first- or second-team All-Pro honors — Pat Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, Nik Bonitto and Marvin Mims Jr. — with only Surtain selected in the first round. The report adds the Broncos did not have a first-round draft choice in three of the last five drafts. The club also signed three free agents who became All-Pros after joining Denver: Zach Allen, Talanoa Hufanga and Devon Key, and this offseason’s most notable acquisition was a trade with the Miami Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle.
Paton previously spent 12 years as the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant general manager before being hired in 2021 to succeed John Elway as the Broncos’ top football executive. The report says Paton has publicly expressed a desire to remain in his role, and Payton described their working relationship as something they both enjoy ahead of the most recent draft.
