ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- On a sun-soaked day in July 2014, just as the Denver Broncos were set to open their third training camp with quarterback Peyton Manning, then-team president Joe Ellis made an announcement that led to the franchise being put up for sale.
Ellis let it be known that Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen would no longer be part of the team's operations due to Alzheimer's disease. Bowlen had been a charismatic daily presence inside the team's complex during a three-decade run of success that included more Super Bowl trips than losing seasons.
"It's a day of tremendous sadness for the Bowlen family, all of our employees, people around the National Football League, and this region and this community," Ellis said then.