Broncos owners Penner, Rice playing in golf tournament as Payton waits

The Denver Broncos are expected to officially trade for head coach Sean Payton from the Saints at any moment.

By all accounts, the deal is done and agreed upon. The team has been releasing social media teasers about Payton and there are no concerns it’s not going to happen. But still, for a trade that was reported on Tuesday to not be announced yet is a little odd. And how about a press conference introducing Payton? Those are the two things we’re waiting on.

Well, a potential answer to some of the hold-ups may have been revealed on Thursday morning. Denver Broncos owner / CEO Greg Penner, as well as part-owner Condoleezza Rice are playing in a golf tournament. Specifically, a PGA Tour event — the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This format means a pro plays with a celebrity.

Penner is paired with professional golfer Chad Ramey while Rice is teeing it up with Brandon Wu. There are 156 pairings spread across three courses, so Penner and Rice are part of a much-larger field. They’ll each play three rounds, one on Thursday, Friday and Saturday before a cut leads into the final round on Sunday.

This event has been on the calendar for quite some time, so it’s not like Penner and Rice could back out of it. In fact, it’s a perfectly logical reason why the press conference can’t happen until next week. Now, why the trade isn’t official yet remains a mystery, but that should get sorted out soon.

Nuggets and Avalanche owner Josh Kroenke is also in the field, playing with Davis Riley. His teams are currently the best two in Denver, with the Broncos hoping to catch up soon. Payton should help in an immense way, but even he has to wait for a few rounds on the links to be completed first.

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