On Christmas Day, the Denver Broncos suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams routed the Broncos, 51-14.

The following day the team announced the firing of Nathaniel Hackett, who had only been head coach of the team for 15 games. The Broncos were a miserable 4-11 under the rookie head coach, and their “unacceptable” loss to the Rams was the final straw for the front office.

The day after Hackett's firing, Broncos GM George Paton and CEO/part owner Greg Penner addressed the media. Penner opened his portion of the presser by apologizing to Broncos fans.

“I want to personally apologize to our fan base and all of Broncos Country. We know that we need to be better and we will.”

Patience has been wearing thin among fans, as the Broncos are closing in on six consecutive losing seasons.

“Our fans have been patient,” Penner continued. “I think we’ve got the best fans in the world, but we need to put a better product on the field.”

Both Penner and Paton were asked about the process of finding a new head coach, and while it is still a bit early in the process, they provided a few details as to what they're looking for.

“We need a strong leader for this organization that is focused on winning,” said Penner. “That starts with culture, it’s instilling a sense of accountability, discipline and we need an identity on offense.”

The Broncos were sold for a record price earlier in 2022, and Penner is a part of the ownership group. He admitted to the media that when his group bought the team, this was not the season they expected.

Paton, who is general manager of the Broncos, found his seat getting rather warm alongside Hackett's throughout the season. After all, Paton was the one responsible for the hiring of Hackett. Penner said he still has full confidence in Paton.

“I understand his thought process,” said Penner. “He understands the work that needs to be done this offseason. I’m going to rely on him heavily as we go through & make these changes.”

Going forward, Penner said that he will take the lead in the head coaching search, as opposed to Paton.