“I’m Not Leaving”: George Paton Commits Future to Broncos Amid Coventry Offer
By Sky Sports News – May 8, 2025
It was five minutes past noon when George Paton stepped into the press room at STōK Racecourse, the newly adopted headquarters of the Denver Broncos’ UK operations. His navy-blue suit was crisply pressed, but the lines beneath his eyes told the story of a man who hadn’t slept much in the past week.
“I’m not leaving,” he said firmly, cutting straight to the chase.
The murmurs that had consumed the NFL and European football worlds for the past seventy-two hours came to a screeching halt with those three words. Paton, the Denver Broncos’ front office architect and face of the franchise’s European expansion, was staying put.
Just minutes before the press conference, reports surfaced confirming that Paton had turned down a four-year, multi-million-pound contract from English Championship side Coventry City—an offer that would’ve seen him pivot from gridiron to football in a bold, unconventional career move.
Paton didn’t even blink.
“The rumors were flattering,” he admitted. “But there’s unfinished business here. The Broncos are building something that hasn’t been done before, and I want to lead us through it.”
Coventry City’s offer was reportedly driven by their American co-owners, eager to replicate the front-office structure and analytical approach Paton helped pioneer in Denver. But despite the high-profile nature of the offer, Paton revealed he never seriously entertained it.
“They flew me out. Showed me the facilities. Great people, great vision. But I’ve got my own vision here,” he said. “And it’s orange and navy, not sky blue.”
The Broncos’ recent relocation of their training and operations base to the UK has been a headline-dominating strategy, one part marketing push, one part strategic reboot. Since arriving at the STōK Racecourse in Wrexham earlier this year, the franchise has made a spectacle of its transatlantic aspirations. And at the heart of it all was Paton—draft rooms rebuilt in shipping containers, cross-cultural coaching hires, and open training camps that drew more fans than some Premier League friendlies.
Still, critics questioned whether Paton’s heart was truly in it—especially as whispers of his private meetings with Coventry City executives gained traction.
But today, Paton laid those doubts to rest, confirming a contract extension with the Broncos that ties him to the franchise through 2030. Though terms weren’t disclosed, league sources told Sky Sports that the deal makes him one of the highest-paid executives in professional football.
“I’m not just staying. I’m doubling down,” he said, pausing to allow the applause from team staff to die down. “We’re not just building a team. We’re building a movement.”
Indeed, the Broncos’ European experiment has been more than symbolic. Since January, the team has signed five European players, inked a partnership with Wrexham AFC, and made three of their regular season games “home” matches to be played in the UK. Local businesses have benefited, fans have embraced the change—and Paton has been the steady, persuasive force convincing skeptics on both sides of the Atlantic that the Broncos’ gamble could work.
Linebacker Dakota Owens, one of the team’s vocal leaders, weighed in on Paton’s decision with a social media post just moments after the press conference:
> “George is the soul of this new Broncos chapter. Let’s ride.”
But the road hasn’t been easy. Since the team’s move, logistical nightmares, backlash from American season-ticket holders, and inconsistent on-field performances have raised eyebrows. Critics have accused Paton of hubris, saying that turning an NFL franchise into a global brand was prioritizing spectacle over substance.
Paton disagrees.
“We’ve taken punches. We’ve made mistakes. But we’ve also made progress,” he said. “When I walk out to practice and see kids from Liverpool, Manchester, and even Wrexham wearing orange jerseys—it tells me we’re getting through.”
Though he wouldn’t elaborate on Coventry’s offer, insiders say the proposal wasn’t just generous—it was revolutionary. Paton would have been given sweeping authority, full sporting control, and a pipeline to develop Coventry’s youth academy into a transatlantic powerhouse, using NFL-style analytics and training regimens.
“It was tempting. It was creative,” Paton acknowledged. “But it wasn’t home.”
The Broncos ownership group released a brief statement shortly after Paton’s announcement:
> “George Paton is integral to our identity. We’re thrilled he’s chosen to continue leading the Denver Broncos into this bold new chapter.”
In true Paton fashion, he spent less time discussing himself and more time outlining what comes next. He confirmed a new partnership with local youth football academies to cross-train talent between American and European codes, hinting at the creation of the first transatlantic development program in pro football history. He also teased the possibility of establishing a full-time NFL Europe division—an idea once buried after the 2007 closure of NFL Europa.
“We’re re-imagining what the sport can be. We’re not done until there’s a 10-year-old in Birmingham who dreams of making the Super Bowl.”
As the cameras packed up and reporters filed out, Paton lingered at the edge of the podium. He chatted with staffers, posed for a few photos with the junior team that had come to watch the presser, and eventually slipped outside through a side door, disappearing into the rain-slicked Wrexham streets.
Later that afternoon, a mural appeared outside the STōK Racecourse—spray-painted in haste, but vibrant and proud. It read, simply:
> “HE’S NOT LEAVING.”