Tuesday's NFL: Broncos' $4.65-billion sale to Walton group OKed by owners
Bloomington, Minn. — The record $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to Walmart heir Rob Walton and his daughter and son-in-law was unanimously approved Tuesday by NFL owners, the expected final step in the transfer from the family of the late Pat Bowlen.
The vote was taken at a league meeting at a hotel in Minnesota, where Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner, were introduced to the media by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. With an estimated worth of $60 billion, Walton – the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton – becomes the wealthiest owner in the league.
Walton’s group paid the highest price in history for a sports franchise anywhere in the world. His three limited partners are Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, Starbucks board chair Mellody Hobson and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. All three investors are Black, satisfying an NFL goal to bring more racial diversity into ownership groups, front offices and coaching staffs.
The Pat Bowlen Trust ran the franchise after Bowlen stepped back from day-to-day duties in 2014 because of Alzheimer’s disease. He died in 2019, one month before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bowlen wanted one of his children to take over the team and Brittany Bowlen, now 32, was the trustees’ selected successor. Not all of her siblings supported that choice, so the club was put up for sale. Brittany Bowlen stepped down as the team’s vice president of strategy after the Walton-Penner group was awarded the franchise with their winning bid.
Only one other NFL club has been sold in the last 10 years: the Carolina Panthers from Jerry Richardson to David Tepper for what was then a record $2.2 billion.
The Broncos are now the first team since the 2008 Miami Dolphins to change primary owners, head coaches and starting quarterbacks in one offseason.
“I am excited about coming in here every day to play football. When it comes to the ownership, I am so excited to get to know them, to meet them, and move forward. I know there has been an amazing history here, and you can learn a lot from history – the good, the bad, and everything,” new coach Nathaniel Hackett said “Right now, it is just about putting ourselves in a position to win some football games.”
The first major decision under the Walton group’s watch will be a contract extension for new quarterback Russell Wilson, who arrived via trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March. The new deal for the nine-time Pro Bowl pick is expected to be in the range of $260 million and five years.
Another pressing issue: assessing the stadium situation. Though Empower Field at Mile High is only 21 years old, it lacks the frills and revenue-producing features of new venues like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the AFC West rival Chargers and Raiders.
Commanders fire D-line coach
Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera has fired defensive line coach Sam Mills III and promoted Jeff Zgonina from his role as defensive line assistant.
Rivera announced the change Tuesday. He hired Mills in January 2020 shortly after taking over in Washington, after Mills served on Rivera’s staff throughout his nine-year tenure as the Carolina Panthers coach.
Mills’ father, longtime Saints and Panthers linebacker Sam Mills, was enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, last weekend.
“Very difficult,” Rivera said of the decision. “I’ve known Sam a long time, and he’s a very good football coach, and I really appreciate everything he’s done. He helped us win a division our first year, and just some things got tough last year. But there’s some things that I felt I wanted to change.”
Washington had 47 sacks (sixth in the NFL) and 78 tackles for loss (seventh) in 2020, Mills’ first season as defensive line coach.
Both numbers decreased substantially into 2021, and a defense that was viewed as a strength coming into the year finished eighth worst in the NFL with 434 points against and fourth worst with 4,333 passing yards allowed.
Rivera did not directly link his decision to last year’s performance.
“I just felt it was a change that I needed to make,” Rivera said. “Feeling there was a little bit of difference in the philosophy.”
Rivera also said Mills’ dismissal was not related to the presence of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp or recently retired Washington defensive end Ryan Kerrigan at recent practices.
“This has been planned,” Rivera said of Sapp’s presence. “I know Warren came to OTAs and minicamp, and they had planned for him to come this week and continue to help work with our guys and share some of his knowledge.”
Kerrigan, a four-time Pro Bowler and Washington’s career sacks leader, announced his retirement last month.
“Ryan came out here to kind of see what this was like,” Rivera said. “He’s truly interested in coaching. But for the most part he’ll continue to do the shadowing that he’s been doing.”
Zgonina will take charge of a defensive line for the second time in his career after previously doing so in San Francisco in 2017 and 2018.
Defensive backs assistant Brent Vieselmeyer will also help with Zgonina’s defensive ends, Rivera said.
“I’m not changing anything,” Zgonina said. “I am who I am. What you’ve seen the last few weeks, the last couple years, that’s what you’re going to see.”
Bears LB Smith requests trade
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles plans to continue to work for a contract extension with linebacker Roquan Smith instead of his request to be traded.
Smith, who is under contract through the 2022 season, is staging a “hold-in” and attending practices without actually practicing until he gets an extension, but Tuesday he made public an official request for a trade.
“Right now my intentions are to sign Roquan to this team,” Poles said after the Bears held a Tuesday practice at Soldier Field. “And we’re going to take it day by day. At the end of the day we’ve got to do what’s best for this organization. But my intentions are to make sure Roquan Smith’s on this team.”
Smith practiced with the team throughout the offseason voluntary and mandatory work, but was not participating on the field when training camp began.
“Unfortunately the new front office regime doesn’t value me here,” Smith wrote on Twitter. “They’ve refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of the journey has been ‘take it or leave it.’
“The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself and for the entire LB market if I signed it.’”
Smith does not have an agent and is trying to negotiate for himself.
“I’ve been trying to get something done that’s fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.”
Smith, the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2018, was second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. He is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.
The Bears made big changes after going 6-11 last season and missing the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years. They fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy and replaced them with Poles and Matt Eberflus.
The Bears plan to use Smith as a weakside linebacker in their new 4-3 scheme.
“I’ll double down on what I’ve said before: My feelings for Roquan haven’t changed at all,” Poles said. “I think he’s a very good football player. I love the kid. I love what he’s done on the field, which makes me really disappointed with where we’re at right now.
“I thought we’d be in a better situation, to be completely honest with you.”
Smith said he hasn’t talked to team ownership. He left the door ajar for the McCaskey family to “salvage this.”
“But as of right now, I don’t see a path back to the organization I truly love,” he wrote.
Smith was on the sideline at the team’s Soldier Field practice Tuesday.
Poles said the fact Smith does not have an agent makes a deal tougher to achieve.
“It’s difficult,” Poles said. “There’s emotions involved and it’s tough. It’s a very unique situation that we’ve had to deal with and I thought we’ve done a pretty good job, which again that’s why I’m a little disappointed we’re at this spot.”
The Bears continue working at practice with Matthew Adams as the weakside linebacker. Eberflus said he speaks almost daily with Smith despite his “hold-in” status.
“There’s few things that surprise you,” Eberflus said. “You take it for what it is and you move forward, and that’s what you do. So I really didn’t have any reaction. I was disappointed in that but that’s where it is right now.
“We’re working forward. Ryan’s going to be working forward with Roquan, and we’ll see where it goes.”