Sean Payton has told the story many times about the first game at Empower Field in September 2001.
He was a young assistant for the New York Giants, and the game was played on Monday Night Football, Sept. 10, the night before the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.
The now-Denver head coach had that game on his mind Wednesday, one day after the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group announced Burnham Yard as the preferred site for a stadium they hope to build and be playing in by the 2031 season.
“It ages me,” said Payton, 61.
He added that owners Greg Penner and Carrie Walton-Penner are “extremely good with a vision,” and pointed across the practice fields to the ongoing work on Denver’s $175 million headquarters rebuild as another example.
Of course, six years from now, Payton will be the same age as Kansas City head coach Andy Reid is now.
So, will he see the next Broncos stadium open from the home sideline?
“Collectively, you guys, myself, our goal is to be here to participate in that new vision,” Payton said with a grin. “I think it’s great for the city.”
Several players took to social media Tuesday to share the video the team put out and comment on the ownership group, but the reality is that rosters turn over almost entirely in a six-year period.
The only two players currently on the Broncos’ roster who have that length of tenure with this franchise are receiver Courtland Sutton and tackle Garett Bolles. Denver’s got 12 players total who are going into their seventh season or more in the NFL.
Still, there are a handful on the roster who could, in theory, still be here in 2031. Quarterback Bo Nix, of course, will have all the longevity he wants if he cements himself as a true franchise quarterback. Cornerback Pat Surtain II is already a two-time All-Pro but is just 25 years old. Right guard Quinn Meinerz, 26; outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, 25; and a handful of others are foundational players who are still fairly young. And, of course, there are a handful of rookies and second-year players who could be second or third-contract players by then.
“It’s exciting,” Nix said Wednesday. “Our ownership has a big vision for what this organization is going to be, and I think everyone else is going to follow along with their lead. The players are excited. It’s a big step for our team, big step for our organization.
“I know there’s a lot of work to be put into it, but it’s exciting.”
Payton said he’s in favor of the retractable roof — he reiterated what Penner told The Post on Tuesday, that the Broncos would plan to play in the elements, but it’s nice to be able to have control when weather gets extreme — and planning to play on natural grass, which “is healthier for the players.”
”In the day and age where new stadiums are being built, rarely are they staying in the city, privately funded,” Payton said. “… I called them this morning — I was a little late with it, but just to congratulate them.”
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