The Denver Broncos will soon have new ownership. Bob Walton, one of the heirs to the Walmart fortune, is expected to win the bidding for the team with an offer of around $4. 5 billion, the most expensive team sale in U.S. sports history.
While the bid is all but set to be approved by the league, it means that this offer will have beaten ownership groups that included former Broncos quarterbacks Peyton Manning and John Elway.
JUST IN: Rob Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, will win the bidding for the Denver Broncos, per @Forbes.
The winning bid is expected to be about $4.5 billion — the most expensive team sale in history.
It's set to be announced as soon as this month. pic.twitter.com/1xs29Q98Ia
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 6, 2022
Even though Manning’s group didn’t win the bid, there are reports out that the Hall of Fame quarterback may still be part of the team in some capacity.
As Mike Klis reports, the new owner may want Manning to have minority ownership of the team and be some type of advisor to the franchise.
According to multiple sources, all four bidders have spoken to former Broncos' star quarterback Peyton Manning to gauge his interest in joining their ownership groups as a minority partner or advisor. No word on Manning's next move if he makes a move. #9sports https://t.co/DwKDikLY9N
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) June 6, 2022
No word yet from Manning if he intends to accept this role.
It will be interesting to see if the NFL pushes the Walton’s to add minority faces to their ownership group, something the league has really focused on. Clearly, Peyton Manning is not a minority, but if he is given a new role with the team, you wonder if he may be the one that encourages Walton to add more minority faces to upper management.
The Broncos are still part of the lawsuit from former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores for alleged discrimination in their hiring practices, which the team has denied.
Even without an ownership stake, Manning has been involved recently in advising new Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
"Since I’ve gotten here, he’s kind of taken me under his wing in a beautiful way," #Broncos QB Russell Wilson said of Peyton Manning 🧡🏈💙 https://t.co/98HYysNROF
— Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) May 30, 2022
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.