Broncos owner Greg Penner on uniforms: ‘Everybody loved the throwbacks’
Jan 15, 2025, 9:29 PM | Updated: 9:30 pm
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For the Denver Broncos under controlling owner and CEO Greg Penner, the changes over his three seasons at the helm have been overwhelming. They’re still the Broncos, but myriad ways, this is a different franchise than the one he was a part of purchasing with the Walton-Penner group in August 2022.
The uniforms are by no means the most important aspect of what has changed in those years. But with plenty of fans, they strike a chord, which is why the new uniforms drew so much attention. They also served as a visual signature of the new era under Penner’s watch.
“I think they showed really well,” Penner said at his season-ending press conference Wednesday.
Broncos controlling owner and CEO Greg Penner assesses Year 1 with the new uniforms:
* “I think unanimously, everybody loved the throwbacks”
* Penner liked navy blue with white helmets
* There was “one combination I wasn’t crazy about” pic.twitter.com/oRgeR5CIXu— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 16, 2025
But he knew that there were mixed reactions from the fanbase to the new uniforms, unveiled to great interest last April.
“Well, the fans’ perceptions, I think, varied,” Penner said. “The one thing I would say about the fans was that there was … very strong interest. So, I think some loved it, some didn’t like it, and I think that’s to be expected, but they definitely care.”
One defining aspect of the uniform look was the versatility. Including the throwbacks, the Broncos wore 13 different combinations during the 2024 season, with the final one coming Sunday when the team wore blue helmets, white jerseys, orange pants and orange socks for the first time.
Primary looks involved either orange or white jerseys.
“The core uniform, I thought, looked great,” Penner said.
But Penner pointed to other looks that stood out.
“I like the navy [jerseys] with the snow-cap helmets,” Penner said, referring to the uniform the Broncos wore against Cleveland in Week 13. “I think those are great as well.”
But there was one uniform Penner didn’t like — and while he transposed the colors of the pants and jerseys, it was clear — the unusual orange jerseys/blue pants/blue socks look donned for the 23-16 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.
It was the one combination “I wasn’t crazy about,” Penner said.
“Maybe we won’t do that one again,” he said.
But then there were the throwbacks. Some players, like tight end Adam Trautman, said that was their favorite look. And wearing it for divisional games against Kansas City and Las Vegas seemed to add an extra layer of importance to those duels with two of the Broncos’ historic rivals.
“I think unanimously, everybody loved the throwbacks,” Penner said.
And with that, the man in charge of the Broncos showed once again that he’s skilled at reading the room — whether it’s filled with executives, media or his team’s most-ardent supporters.