NFL Rumors: Peyton Manning in the running to take over Denver Broncos as new owner

Former Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning
Former Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning

Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning may have made his career with the Indianapolis Colts, but it seems his time with the Denver Broncos has led him to lay down roots.

The circumstances around the ownership of the Denver Broncos have been in the headlines the last few months. In that context, many have speculated that Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner, may be interested in joining an ownership group to purchase the team.

Last week, a ruling was made in the case, which means the team will now go up for sale in an auction.

The ruling might open the door for not only Peyton Manning, but also for former Broncos quarterback John Elway (President of Football Operations for the team). But while the highest bidder would likely "win" the auction, the transaction of a new owner would need to be approved by the other 31 NFL owners.

It is currently rumored that there are six different groups with their eyes set on becoming the next owner of the Denver Broncos. John Elway and Peyton Manning, both former Broncos quarterbacks, are rumored to be in different groups as possible minority owners.

Could John Elway beat Peyton Manning to taking over as next Broncos owner?

Washington Football Team v Denver Broncos
Washington Football Team v Denver Broncos

Just a few months ago, Peyton Manning denied the rumors that he would buy the Denver Broncos. He even joked that he didn't have the billions of dollars necessary to make the purchase.

But many suspect that the former five-time NFL MVP, who is now a full-time resident in the Denver area and is seen with his kids at every Broncos home game, may want to be more involved in the organization.

Former Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen made the decision to place the team ownership into a family trust in 2014, when he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Since he passed away in 2019, there has been an ongoing battle with ownership and who would run it.

If the owners don't approve of the highest bidder, then another ownership group that's in the running could be awarded the team. It is unknown who the majority owners of each group are.

Forbes recently accessed the Denver Broncos value at about $3.75 billion dollars. But there is speculation that through an auction sale, the team could go for over $4 billion.

While Peyton Manning currently doesn't have a position within the Denver Broncos organization, John Elway does. So if his group does in fact acquire ownership of the Broncos, there could be a question of whether he will step down as President of Football Operations.

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Edited by LeRon Haire