As the Denver Broncos head into a pivotal offseason, one of the biggest questions looming over the front office isn't about free agency or the draft-it’s about the future of general manager George Paton.
Paton, who was hired back in 2021, is entering the sixth and final year of his original six-year deal. That means the clock is ticking. And while there’s been no official word on a contract extension, all signs point to the Broncos wanting to keep him in the building.
There’s also a bit of outside noise to consider-Paton has been linked to the general manager opening with the Minnesota Vikings. That connection could give him some leverage if Denver is indeed looking to lock him in long term.
Inside the building, though, Paton’s standing seems solid. Head coach Sean Payton has gone out of his way to praise the partnership they’ve built since he arrived in Denver. And when Payton speaks about his GM, there’s no mistaking the mutual respect and admiration.
“Our relationship has been great,” Payton said in January. “We have a lot in common. I was lucky for all those years to have a relationship like that with Mickey Loomis [in New Orleans], and I consider the relationship that I have with George [to be similar].”
That’s not just coach-speak. Payton went on to describe how their shared philosophy and trust have laid the foundation for a strong working relationship-one that he believes is critical to building a successful team.
“You have to [enjoy working together] because you spend so much time together,” Payton said. “It’s probably one of the more undervalued aspects.
Find me the head coach and GM tied at the hip, and then you have a chance. I feel like he and I have an extremely close relationship, trust, but also we see things in a similar fashion.”
That kind of synergy between head coach and general manager is rare in the NFL, and Payton knows it. He doubled down on his praise just a week later, calling his day-to-day work with Paton one of the best parts of his job.
“I can’t say enough about just working with him,” Payton said. “I don’t know that always exists in our league.
So when you get that triangle, and you get the ownership triangle, then obviously you have to find a quarterback. I enjoy daily working with him.”
Ownership seems to agree. During the team’s end-of-season press conference, Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner made it clear he values the Payton-Paton pairing-and wants it to continue.
“I’d say that the two of them, we’d love to have both of them here long term,” Penner said. “I think the partnership they’ve created and how they work together, it’s very complementary.”
As for contract specifics, Penner kept things close to the vest, saying those discussions would happen privately. But the message was clear: the Broncos like the direction this leadership team is heading.
So while there’s no official announcement yet, the writing’s on the wall. The Broncos appear to be lining up for a future that includes George Paton. Whether it’s a new deal or a continuation of the current one, the front office stability-paired with a head coach who’s clearly all-in-gives Denver a strong foundation heading into a crucial offseason.