The Denver Broncos have time to make a decision on their stadium future -- relatively.
Denver's current lease at Empower Field at Mile High runs through the 2030 season, so one might assume the Broncos still have several years to make a decision. As team president Damani Leech pointed out at the Super Bowl earlier this year, though, it could take four years to build a new stadium (if that's the decision the team makes). So the clock is ticking.
Speaking at the NFL's Annual League Meeting in Florida on Monday, Leech was asked if there's pressure to make a stadium decision.
“I’d say you have a healthy amount of pressure," Leech said. "The lease ending is certainly a stake in the ground of time, but we are not holding ourselves to that to say, ‘We absolutely have to have something by that year.’ The components of what happens though, I think, is real and important to think about.
"Stadiums generally take about 48 months to build from a construction standpoint. You think about what has to happen from a permitting standpoint and all of those things. We’re starting to build out those calendars to get a better understanding of once you do decide what you want to do how long it’s going to take.”
Denver's front office has repeatedly emphasized that a decision has not been made yet, but there's been heavy speculation the team will build a new super stadium (perhaps with a dome or retractable roof). That would undoubtedly help the team's chances of hosting a future Super Bowl.
So, no announcement yet, and there's technically still time to make a decision, but the clock is ticking. Broncos Wire will provide full coverage whenever the team reaches its decision.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Team feels 'healthy amount of pressure' on stadium
