The Denver Broncos held an end-of-season press conference on Tuesday featuring team owner/CEO Greg Penner, head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton.
Penner said that he was encouraged by the team taking a step forward in 2023, but he also understood that the club did not meet fans’ expectations.
“First of all, I think we took a big step forward this year,” Penner said. “I was encouraged by what I saw. Proud of the resilience that the players showed, as well as the leadership of Sean and George and the whole staff. With that said, we understand the championship standard that we have here, both for the organization and the fan’s expectations. This is a proud franchise. We grade ourselves by our winning record, and this year, we didn’t meet our expectations.”
The Broncos went 8-9 in 2023 and while that marked the club’s most wins in a single season since 2016, Denver fell short of reaching the playoffs. The Broncos lost several games in frustrating fashion, and they only need a few more victories to reach the postseason.
That has left fans disappointed with the 2023 campaign, and Penner acknowledged that.
“I want to make sure our fans understand that I get their frustrations,” Penner said. “The main message for Broncos Country that I would have is, we’re just as impatient as you are to win here. We understand that we have a lot of work to do this offseason to get better. I want to thank the fans for your loyalty, support [and] passion. I think we have the best fans in the world here.”
The bottom line for fans is winning. Denver hasn’t had a winning season since 2016. In order for Penner to please the fans, the Broncos will need to get back on track with a winning season in Year 2 under Payton.
