Broncos celebrate $175,000,000 high-tech training facility set to open in 2026

Since the Denver Broncos changed ownership and the Walton-Penner ownership group took over, investments became a certainty. On Thursday, the franchise broke ground on a $175 million training facility set to open in 2026.

Coach Sean Payton was alongside the owners during the celebration, as the Denver team took a break from its Week 1 preparations in order to celebrate a special occasion.

​

According to the Denver Gazette, the facility spans three stories and covers 205,000 square feet. The first floor is designed in a way to reduce players' foot travel, while the second and third floors will be dedicated to football and business operations.

The training facility will reportedly have a much larger locker room and upgraded sports performance areas.

The new owners paid $4.65 billion to acquire the franchise. They are also paying head coach Sean Payton the biggest salary of any head coach in the league, prompting him to return after a sabbatical year. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021.

Sean Payton tasked with leading Broncos rebuild

Before moving to Colorado in 2023, Sean Payton had spent his entire head coaching career with the New Orleans Saints and had an impressive 15-year stint from 2006 to 2021. He led the Saints to their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2009, and two other NFC Championship Game appearances.

He's largely credited for the success of New Orleans' rebuild following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He signed Drew Brees and the pair had a fantastic run that created one of the league's best offenses for a decade and a half. So when the Broncos netted him, the plan was to do the same with Russell Wilson.

It didn't work out at first, but the expectation to lead a rebuild remains. Only that they had to tear everything down and move on from their quarterback, but the idea of building a competitive Broncos team under his leadership remains.

​