John Elway 'Thrilled' to Hire 'Coveted' George Paton as New Broncos GM
John Elway is, officially, the former Denver Broncos general manager. And he marked the occasion by welcoming the new Denver Broncos general manager — his successor after a decade on the job, George Paton, who reportedly agreed to a six-year contract on Wednesday.
"Early in this process, it became clear why George has been such a coveted GM candidate for so many years," Elway said in a statement released via the team website. "He is a proven evaluator who knows every detail of leading football operations. With his experience in all aspects of the job—the college and pro sides, salary cap, trades, working with the head coach and bringing the staff together—George is more than ready to succeed in this role. George has waited and worked for the right opportunity, which shows that he is smart and serious about winning. We're thrilled to name George Paton as general manager of the Denver Broncos."
Upon putting pen to paper, Paton becomes the 15th GM in the Broncos' illustrious history, replacing Elway, who opted to resign his position and begin shifting into a background role for the 2021 campaign, potentially his last with the organization.
The longtime Minnesota Vikings' front-office chief, who just wrapped up his ninth season as GM Rick Spielman's right-hand lieutenant, beat out two other Broncos candidates: assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly and New Orleans Saints director of pro scouting Terry Fontenot, a favorite for the Falcons' GM vacancy.
Together, since 2012, the Spielman-Paton duo oversaw two NFC North division titles, four playoff berths, and four double-digit win campaigns — a cumulative 79-63-2 record. The Vikings also drafted particularly well under Paton's watch. Per the team's official website, his "primary focus [was] coordinate scouting and personnel functions" as well as "lend his expertise to the College Scouting Department."
Paton broke into the business in the Chicago Bears' scouting departments before the Miami Dolphins hired him as director of pro personnel. He spent six seasons (2001-06) with Miami prior to defecting to the Twin Cities.
His sterling resume and reputation led to continual interest from outside suitors throughout the years, interest that Paton famously resisted. Until Wednesday.
"George is one of the most widely respected and experienced personnel executives in the NFL," Broncos president/CEO Joe Ellis said. "He's a composed, collaborative leader with a clear vision of building a championship team. Getting to know George over the last week, his intelligence, work ethic and leadership skills impressed all of us. He has worked nearly 25 years in the NFL to prepare for this challenge, and we are very fortunate to have George as our new general manager. We're excited to welcome George, his wife Barbara and his children Bella and Beau to the Broncos family."
Paton is expected to be introduced to the media early next week. He inherits a club rife with nucleal talent, the No. 9 overall draft pick, close to $40 million in salary-cap space (once some housecleaning is done) ... and a young but still-unproven and inconsistent starting quarterback.
Citing his acquisitional history in Minnesota, which includes former failed Denver experiment Case Keenum, 9News insider Mike Klis speculated Tuesday that Paton "may make run for top tier QB" if he holds the highest office in Broncos Country.
Whether the fresh-blooded brain trust continues on course with Lock — and "continuity" isn't merely a buzzword — or they set out to find his replacement — and Denver goes against the NFL grain — will shape both the short- and long-term future of everyone involved.
But now, the work can begin.
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