Leech on Broncos stadium: ‘All options are on the table’
ORLANDO, FLA. >> As the Broncos continue to study their long-range stadium options, they’ve got a new ream of data to sort through this spring.
That’s all of the information collected on the impact of the more than $100 million in Empower Field upgrades after a full season of home games. Part of whether the Walton-penner Family Ownership Group ultimately decides to build a new stadium entirely, renovate Empower Field further or keep it largely as-is revolves around how much more can be squeezed out of the existing facility or a modified version.
“It’s important. I’d say it’s significant,” Broncos president Damani Leech said Monday.
That’s been part of what he and other executives and employees try to learn, too, when they see other stadiums around the NFL — particularly in those cities that are in the building process now.
“When we go and play away games, typically I get there if not the evening before then the morning of,” Leech said. “We’ll get their staff to give us a tour to learn more about their stadiums — what they like, what they don’t like. Talk to the teams who are going through the construction process now.
“When we played at Buffalo (in November), that was a Monday night game. Monday morning several of us went over there and talked with their team and just said, ‘Talk us through the process. Explain to us why you chose certain things, didn’t choose other things.’ Just trying to continually learn and get smarter.”
Leech, though, had no specific timeline update on when a decision could be reached about how to proceed.
“We continue to explore it, research it and all options are on the table,” Leech said. “Renovation, significant renovation, new build, different location. All those things are on the table.”
Asked what the primary reason for considering building a new stadium would be, Leech didn’t hesitate.
“Fans,” he said simply. “Their expectation for what they should get out of an NFL game. We were just talking about prices. What they expect to get and should get and feel like they deserve to get relative to what they’re paying is really important. I think creating an environment that gives them a great experience is really important. And then also, obviously, our players and having great facilities for them so they can be successful on the field.”
Could Broncos move camp?
Head coach Sean Payton broached the possibility Monday morning that Denver could move its training camp one of the next two summers to a different location while construction proceeds on Denver’s new $175 million team headquarters.
“I don’t know that we’ve discussed that really,” Payton said. “Hopefully we can kind of do it without it being a major (issue). Let’s say it’s going to be ready by fall of ‘26 and you come back to work and everyone just kind of take care of your own office and walk it across the field.”
Leech said the Broncos were working with Mortensen Construction to determine whether work will begin before or after training camp this summer. He said the Broncos “would like to avoid” moving camp to another location.
The plan is for fans to be on hand in some capacity.
“We’re going to find ways if fans can experience (camp) even if it’s a little different than it’s been in the past,” CEO and controlling owner Greg Penner said.
More new turf
Penner broke a bit of his own news Monday, saying that the club is replacing its artificial turf in the indoor practice facility.
“It’s about 10 years old,
I believe the life of it was intended to be about 20 years,” Penner said. “We’re going to replace it with a state-of-the-art artificial surface that’s going to be better for our players. More padding, different material, but something they should really feel the impact of during our practices.”