Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes as the Seattle Seahawks won in Russell Wilson's return to Lumen Field with a 17-16 victory over his new side Denver Broncos in Monday Night Football.

Trailing by one point with 20 seconds to play, the Broncos opted to chase victory with a 64-yard field-goal attempt from Brandon McManus, rather than keep the ball in Wilson's hands. McManus' attempt, which would have tied for the second longest field goal in NFL history, had the distance but missed wide left.

Wilson, who was traded by the Seahawks to the Broncos in the offseason, completed 29-of-42 passes for 340 yards with one touchdown for Denver.

Smith was the star for the Seahawks, particularly in the first half, completing 23-of-28 attempts for 195 yards with two touchdowns. The Seahawks were scoreless in the second half but their defense held up.

Seattle scored a TD with their first drive as Smith found a wide-open Will Dissly, who had three receptions for 43 yards.

The Broncos tied it up in the second quarter when Wilson floated to Jerry Jeudy for a 67-yard to reception TD, which was his first in over 600 days. Seattle re-claimed the lead before half-time when Smith threw 25 yards to Colby Parkinson.

After Denver cut the lead to one from a McManus field goal in the fourth, the Broncos came up empty on the goal line twice, before their last-ditch attempt fell short.

Wilson hit up Javonte Williams, before exhausting time and calling a timeout with 20 seconds remaining to allow McManus' attempt.

The win means Seattle have won their last eight Week 1 games at home, dating back to their last loss in 1999. Denver have lost six straight Monday Night Football games.

The idea of "any given Sunday" is what makes the NFL so compelling.

Any one team can beat another, and that means at this stage of the season, with the first snap still to be taken, every team can have Super Bowl aspirations.

Sort of.

The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, may have been slightly surprising contenders in 2021, but there remain some teams whose title hopes are so remote as to be non-existent.

For some, this is because they have missed their shot at glory in recent years; for others, the plan is to challenge in seasons to come.

So, this leads us to draw up a preseason tier system, ranking all 32 teams by their Super Bowl windows with the help of Stats Perform AI predictions...

Nowhere near

This is unlikely to be a season to remember for the teams grouped in this category, for a variety of reasons.

The Houston Texans won the AFC South in 2018 and 2019, but the Deshaun Watson saga and two down years have them looking at a rebuild, with the data forecasting just 4.8 wins this year. That at least ranks them ahead of the Atlanta Falcons (3.6 projected wins) and the New York Giants (4.2), while the Texans did gain draft assets in the Watson trade.

The Chicago Bears are the fourth and final team projected to earn fewer than six wins (4.9), with second-year quarterback Justin Fields receiving little help on offense and playing behind an offensive line ranked 31st in pass protection.

Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders rank 31st in terms of skill players – better only than the Falcons – with faith in Carson Wentz long since having diminished. In Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, the Carolina Panthers have two high-draft-pick QBs unlikely to trouble the postseason. The New York Jets are in a similar boat, even if Zach Wilson is still young.

The Detroit Lions might argue they do not deserve to keep such company after a 3-3 finish to last season, but nobody could seriously argue they are title contenders.

Entering contention

If that first group was a mixed bag, so too is the second.

Anyone who has paid any attention to the New England Patriots' preseason would suggest they are very fortunate to be given any hope of success in the near future, but they finished with 10 wins in 2021 – even if that number is projected to shrink to 7.7. Despite a trade for Tyreek Hill, that still ranks the Patriots comfortably ahead of the Miami Dolphins (7.0), although the losing team in their Week 1 meeting will face a long slog of a season.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Eagles are forecast to have 11.9 wins – the second-most in the NFL – after a very strong offseason. But Jalen Hurts, for now, is unproven in the postseason, so Philly fans may have to stay patient.

The San Francisco 49ers are even younger at QB after promoting Trey Lance to a starting role, which explains why the prediction model looks so unfavourably on a team many consider contenders right now. Just 7.1 projected wins speaks to the potentially low floor Lance brings.

NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals have to be considered among this group of future hopefuls, with Kyler Murray hugely talented and now committed long term but frustratingly inconsistent, while the Jacksonville Jaguars will hope Trevor Lawrence can follow in the footsteps of the Bengals' Joe Burrow – the number one pick the year before him.

The Los Angeles Chargers, with 9.8 projected wins, have Justin Herbert to lead their charge, while the Cleveland Browns might have been contenders already if not for Watson's suspension, which is enough to limit them to a still strong 9.3-win forecast.

In their prime

The Chargers may have Herbert, but they also have three division rivals who intend to win and intend to win now. Indeed, all four AFC West teams rank in the top half of the league in terms of projected wins, with the Chargers second – behind the Kansas City Chiefs (11.5) and just ahead of the Denver Broncos (9.7) and the Las Vegas Raiders (9.2).

The Chiefs lead the AFC in this regard, although their playoff win over the Buffalo Bills last season came down to a coin flip, and the two are set to be similarly tough to separate this year. Buffalo are down for 11.1 wins.

The two teams coming off a Super Bowl run are of course prominent among the contenders, even if the model has far greater optimism for a Los Angeles Rams repeat than for another Bengals charge. The Rams are backed for a league-leading 12.4 wins and given a 15.3 per cent shot at defending their title, while the Bengals are actually projected to dip below .500 with 8.2 wins.

The Bengals' route to the Super Bowl will be complicated not just by the AFC West and the Bills but also by any return to form for the fit-again Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens, who are counted among nine teams on course for 10 or more wins (10.4).

Also in that group are NFC pair the Dallas Cowboys (11.0) and the Minnesota Vikings (10.9), who may not even be the best teams in their divisions but might be nearing a point when they must seriously challenge or start again, which brings us to...

Last chance saloon

As long as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are the QBs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers, those teams are in with a chance. The question is how long that will remain the case.

Brady is 45, briefly retired this offseason and then missed a chunk of the preseason. Rodgers is 38, has repeatedly been linked with a move away from Green Bay and lost top target Davante Adams ahead of the new season. Still, the Buccaneers rank eighth for projected wins (10.7), with the Packers up in third (11.5).

They are not the only ageing teams in the NFL, however.

The Indianapolis Colts hope they have upgraded in moving from Wentz to Matt Ryan, yet the former MVP is now 37 and last played in the postseason in 2017 – when Wentz's Eagles took the title.

Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is a little younger at 34, but of greater concern would be Derrick Henry's durability after the injury that limited to eight games last regular season. The Titans need to make the most of any seasons they have left of the superstar running back going at full tilt.

Missed their chance

Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees won Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints respectively, but with all three having now moved on, it is difficult to see those teams plotting a path to the title.

For the Seahawks and the Steelers, this will be their first year without their stalwart QBs, even if things had already gone stale in 2021. Wilson dipped below the .500 mark for a season for the first time in his career, while Pittsburgh were attempting to stay competitive in spite of Roethlisberger rather than because of him.

Still, with both gone – Wilson to Denver and Roethlisberger to retirement – there is a void under center that has not been suitably filled. Seattle also rank 32nd in pass protection, likely leaving Geno Smith hopelessly exposed.

The Saints have had another 12 months to come to terms with Brees' exit, albeit they spent it juggling Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill at QB. Winston's season-ending injury doomed the Saints' hopes of contention last year, and New Orleans' outlook for 9.5 wins with the entertaining but erratic former number one pick is at least far more positive than that of the Seahawks (6.2) or the Steelers (7.0).

Regardless, each of these three teams have provided an example in how not to do succession planning. They all could have won additional honours with their departed veterans and now face long waits for further title tilts.

It seemed on a frenzied January night in Kansas City as though the AFC title would be decided by the toss of a coin.

The Kansas City Chiefs were the beneficiaries, coming up the field one last time to beat the Buffalo Bills, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. were not to make the Super Bowl.

That the Chiefs were stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game said a great deal for the strength in depth of the conference.

And that has been ratcheted up to another level over the course of the offseason, with Russell Wilson and Davante Adams among the notable names traded into the AFC.

The NFC may still have the defending Super Bowl champions, but there are no shortage of contenders here – including as many as four in one wild division out west.

The favourites

The Chiefs and the Bills would both have been hugely disheartened by the manner in which their seasons ended. Kansas City had the fortune that deserted Buffalo but were unable to make the most of their reprieve against the Bengals.

But that will merely make Mahomes and Josh Allen two of the more motivated superstars heading into the new season.

Mahomes is now without Tyreek Hill, yet the Chiefs' offensive line went from strength to strength as last season wore on, ranking third in pass protection win percentage by the year's end.

Meanwhile, Allen showed in that playoff blockbuster he can be every bit a match for Mahomes at his best. He threw nine touchdown passes across his two playoff games; no player had previously thrown more than seven while playing two games or fewer in a single postseason.

Allen will hope not to get the chance to better that record, this year targeting a run that goes far beyond the Divisional Round.

In the mix

The Bengals of course have to be considered after pushing the Los Angeles Rams all the way, while the Tennessee Titans actually matched the Chiefs for the best regular season record in the AFC despite Derrick Henry being limited to eight games, though the trade of receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles may restrict their ceiling on offense and ability to compete this year.

Deshaun Watson's suspension will give the Cleveland Browns work to do just to make the playoffs, but they may well be a serious threat if they get there.

A conference packed with quarterback talent also includes former MVP Lamar Jackson, who is fit again and looking to set the Baltimore Ravens back on course after a difficult 2021 in which they finished bottom of the AFC North.

But if the Chiefs are the team to beat, perhaps one of their division rivals can cause an upset. Each of the Los Angeles Chargers, the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders have reasons to be optimistic.

Four contenders in the wild, wild AFC West

The Chiefs have won the AFC West six years in a row, but there is no guarantee that will become seven. The scale of the challenge before Kansas City represents a big boost to their AFC rivals – and to the neutrals, licking their lips at a must-watch season-long tussle.

Justin Herbert has long looked like making the Chargers contenders, with just the 14th 5,000-yard passing season in league history helping his offense finish fourth in the league in yards per game (390.2) and fifth in total points scored (747) last season. Crucially, the Chargers have added defensive help in the form of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson now, too.

Yet their offseason work perhaps pales next to that of the Broncos and the Raiders.

Wilson left the Seattle Seahawks for Denver, who promptly handed him a huge contract, clearly feeling he and Nathaniel Hackett can be the QB-coach combo they have been missing to return them to the postseason.

Support for that belief comes from Wilson's performance in quarterback Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE), which measures a signal-caller's performance in expected passing situations against the league average. Despite playing only 14 games on a Seahawks team that finished in the NFC West cellar, Wilson was still 13th in EVE, just behind Tom Brady.

Meanwhile, Adams has reunited with former Fresno State team-mate Derek Carr on the Raiders, with Stats Perform's positional rankings subsequently considering Las Vegas to have the most talented skill players in the NFL.

The Chiefs will undoubtedly now be made to work for the division after years of dominance. 

Lamar out to right last year's wrongs

With half of the conference potentially in contention for a Super Bowl run, there is perhaps no true sleeper pick, but the Ravens will expect to go from worst to first in their division.

Much will depend on a return to form for dual-threat superstar Jackson.

Baltimore were firmly on course for the playoffs at the time of the ankle injury that kept Jackson out of the run-in in 2021, collapsing thereafter. However, it had already been by far the QB's worst season as a regular starter.

After 3,127 passing yards and 36 passing TDs and 1,206 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs in his MVP season of 2019, Jackson had regressed slightly in 2020 and struggled further last year both through the air and on the ground.

In 12 games, Jackson threw just 16 TDs to 13 interceptions, while his 767 rushing yards saw him finish second among QBs to Jalen Hurts – a category he had dominated in the previous two campaigns.

Everything the Ravens do when they are good goes through Jackson, so his performance level will make or break their season.

Can Tua turn his fortunes around?

With the wealth of talent at the top of the AFC, there must also be some dregs at the bottom. The Miami Dolphins might fear they belong instead to that category.

The Dolphins made their own big move this offseason, taking elite receiver Hill out of the AFC West to give Tua Tagovailoa little excuse in his third season.

Hill got open on 82.7 per cent of his targets last season, with those skills of separation sure to come in useful when attempting to link up with a passer in Tagovailoa who threw to an open target just 73.8 per cent of the time.

The Dolphins are not expecting Tagovailoa to be Mahomes, but they need him to be much better than he has been thus far for this project to work.

The AFC West has been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs in recent seasons, with six division titles in succession.

In fact, if the Chiefs can extend that streak to seven, they will tie each of the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers on 15 division titles.

Unfortunately for those in Kansas City, their rivals appear especially determined to ensure this year is different.

No division has prompted as much intrigue during the offseason as the AFC West, which has appeared at the centre of numerous big trades as its pretenders attempt to become contenders.

So hard to split is the division that Stats Perform has not even attempted to try – instead explaining what needs to happen for each of these teams in turn to be successful...

Kansas City Chiefs

After topping the AFC West in six straight seasons, there are plenty of reasons to believe the Chiefs can be toppled in 2022: Patrick Mahomes is coming off perhaps the worst season of his career, Tyreek Hill is gone, and the competition in the division is intense.

Yet those are also three reasons why Mahomes will be determined to lead the Chiefs to another strong year.

One of the game's leading lights will hope the 2021 season, with its 3-4 start and hugely disappointing finish in the AFC Championship Game, does not live long in the memory, but his attempts to move on swiftly could easily be hampered by the departure of WR1 Hill to the Miami Dolphins.

However, tight end Travis Kelce – the career leader in Mahomes targets (540), completions (383) and passing yards (4,960) – remains in Kansas City, and the quarterback has the ability to make a partnership work with any receiver.

Mahomes just needs time, and that is what he can expect to get behind one of the best offensive lines in the game.

The Chiefs rebuilt their O-line last year, and they ranked third in the NFL in pass protection win percentage (80.16) in 2021. Crucially, that unit improved as the season went on; the six games in which Mahomes faced the most pressures were all before the Week 12 bye.

Mahomes' pass completion rate of 77.4 per cent when not pressured ranked second among QBs with 100 or more attempts last season; this dropped to 56.7 per cent when pressured – only marginally above the league average in such scenarios (56.6).

Widely considered the most talented passer of his generation, the Chiefs have focused on protecting Mahomes rather than worrying about who he is throwing to, and that should be a safe bet despite his postseason wobble.

Las Vegas Raiders

As one elite receiver leaves the AFC West in Hill, another arrives. Davante Adams has quit the Green Bay Packers to bring his star power to Vegas.

Since his rookie season, Adams ranks fifth in the NFL for catches (669), sixth for receiving yards (8,121) and second for receiving touchdowns (73), although he has spent his entire career playing with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Now, Adams will be paired with zero-time MVP Derek Carr, who threw for 23 TDs and 14 interceptions last year, ranking 24th in touchdown percentage (3.7). Rodgers, by comparison, threw for 37 scores and four picks, with his 7.0 TD percentage the best in the league.

Yet Carr will surely benefit from having Adams to throw to. He saw 25 passes dropped in 2021 – tied for the third-most in the NFL – and a solid completion percentage of 68.4 could have been better, as his expected completion percentage of 74.5 trailed only Mahomes (75.9).

Carr is clearly an accurate passer; he just needs a little help turning this talent into tangible rewards.

Adams is the ideal man to do that, with the duo teaming up previously for two years at Fresno State, in which time the receiver's 38 TDs led the FBS by some distance.

Last year, Adams – who dropped a career-low one pass, just 0.6 per cent of his targets – added 633 yards after the catch, fourth-most in the league, and led the way in recording a first down with 49.7 per cent of his targets.

He can have a transformative impact on a team who were already the Chiefs' nearest challengers in this division and will now be overseen by former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as coach.

Los Angeles Chargers

This division is so exciting not only because it contains four potentially great teams but because it contains four potentially great offenses.

For the Chargers, there are few doubts on that side of the ball. They have largely brought back the same offense that made Justin Herbert a star in 2021 with just the 14th 5,000-yard passing season in league history. Of course, the 17-game season helped in that regard, but only Tom Brady (5,316) outperformed Herbert (5,014) on the year.

As a result, the Chargers were fourth in the league in yards per game (390.2) and fifth in total points scored (747).

So, why did they miss out on the postseason?

Well, the Chargers had a bottom-10 defense in terms of yards per game (360.1), and only two teams allowed more points across the season (459). That Herbert-powered offense ranked 23rd in time spent on the field, with the defense giving them too much to do in too little time.

There are reasons to believe that will change this year, though, with the acquisitions of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson particularly notable for a team that ranked in the bottom half of the league for takeaways (21).

Only three players have had eight or more interceptions in a single season over the past two years; Jackson, one of those three, has done it twice.

No player has ever previously had eight or more picks in three straight seasons, but Jackson has shown no signs of slowing and could be exactly the type of superstar the Chargers need on defense to complement Herbert's efforts on offense and seize control of this division.

Denver Broncos

These might not be the four most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but they may well be the four most motivated.

Russell Wilson undoubtedly has a point to prove after ending a 10-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks that went downhill fast in its final 18 months. In early MVP contention after a 5-0 start to the 2020 season, Wilson went 13-12 over the rest of his Seahawks career.

He last year missed the postseason for only the second time and, according to Seattle, pushed for a trade. "I didn't initiate it," was Wilson's reply. "It was definitely mutual."

Regardless, Wilson will find a very receptive audience in Denver, where Broncos fans were desperate to see an end to the QB merry-go-round that had them in a spin for six straight years after Peyton Manning's farewell Super Bowl 50 win. They have had 10 different starters under center since 2016, second only to Washington (11).

In that time outside the title picture, though, the Broncos have rebuilt the rest of the roster, waiting for the sort of QB-coach combo they now have in Wilson and former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett.

Denver allowed the eighth-fewest yards per game last season (326.1) and the third-fewest points (322); on offense, a better QB than Teddy Bridgewater would have made more use of playing behind an O-line that ranked eighth in pass protection win percentage (78.64).

With personnel changes at the two most important positions, the Broncos can expect to be much, much better than 19th for yards per game (330.5) and joint-23rd for total points (335).

That improvement should take the Broncos from nowhere to somewhere, even in this AFC West.

Russell Wilson has signed a lucrative contract extension with the Denver Broncos, tying him to the franchise for a further five seasons.

The 33-year-old moved to Denver from the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2022 season, with the Broncos parting with three players – two first-round picks and two second-round picks – to land the Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Wilson penned a two-year deal with the Broncos upon his arrival but could now stay with the team into his 40s, with an extension tying him down for a total of seven seasons.

Widespread reports have confirmed the news, with the deal worth $245million and $165m guaranteed.

The move also serves as further evidence of the quarterback market skyrocketing, with Aaron Rodgers' recent extension with the Packers at $50m setting the bar.

Wilson will begin his career with the Broncos in familiar circumstances as Denver travel to face Seattle on the west coast on September 13.

During his time with Seattle, Wilson led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Broncos at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

He has also been a Pro Bowler in all but one of his 10 seasons in the NFL and should hit 300 career touchdowns with the Broncos, holding 292 ahead of the 2022 season.

Geno Smith has been named as the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback for their NFL opener against the Denver Broncos after seeing off competition from Drew Lock.

Smith started the Seahawks' 27-26 preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, with Lock subsequently coming in to throw one touchdown pass and three interceptions.

Former New York Jets passer Smith, who moved to Seattle in 2019 after also featuring for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, looked likely to get the nod after a bout of COVID-19 forced Lock to sit out their second outing of preseason, a 27-11 defeat to the Chicago Bears.

Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed his decision after the loss to Dallas, declaring: "Geno's going to start.

"He's going to start the opener, and he's earned it, he's won the job. With the time frames that got messed up for Drew, he just ran out of time."

Smith, 31, has started all three of Seattle's preseason outings, and said: "Obviously I'm thankful for the opportunity and grateful, but I have a lot of work ahead of me, that was my mindset from the start.

"I'm just getting ready to get out there and win games, and this is just step one in that process. None of this will matter if we don't get out and win the games we're supposed to win." 

The Seahawks' season-opening clash with Denver will see them face their former star quarterback Russell Wilson, whose trade took Lock to Seattle earlier this year. 

As far as Justin Simmons is concerned it doesn't matter that the Denver Broncos lost 10 games in 2021 to finish in last place in the AFC West.

Or that the team hasn't made the playoffs since the 2015 season.

The way Simmons sees it, the Broncos are equipped to win this year's Super Bowl.

Simmons was drafted by Denver in 2016 just months after the team's last playoff appearance – a win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

The Broncos have four double-digit loss seasons in the six years since winning it all, but with the addition of Russell Wilson at quarterback and a new coaching staff, Simmons believes this season will end differently.

"In terms of the playoffs, I'm really excited," Simmons said Tuesday on Good Morning Football. "Like you said, I just missed the Super Bowl with Denver; got drafted the year after, and then since then, the best record that I've been a part of was 9-7, just missing that playoff berth. 

"Guys are hungry, and obviously, Russ is hungry. We got a hungry group, we've got a talented group, and that's what I'm really looking forward to. I feel like if you have that - as long as we don't beat ourselves - I like our chances to host playoff games and eventually hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the year."

A Pro Bowl selection in 2020, the 28-year-old Simmons was tied for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions last season to help lead a defense that ranked third in the league in opponent scoring at 18.9 points per game.

With Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock lining up at quarterback, however, Denver's offense struggled to keep up in the high-powered AFC West, averaging 19.7 points per game to rank tied with Washington for 23rd.

Expectations on offense are much higher this year with Wilson taking over at signal-caller in perhaps the NFL's most talented quarterback division with the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herber and Las Vegas Raiders' Derek Carr.

"I think the confidence level is at an all-time high," Simmons said. "Playing in the best division in football, being in the AFC West, is going to be challenging but it's going to be fun, right? 

"I think Russ kind of hit it on the head in his opening presser when he was officially announced as a Denver Bronco, and saying, 'I'm not scared of the competition and I want to go up against the best, and there's no better division to go up against in the AFC West.' 

"Seeing Herbert, Carr and Mahomes twice a year and obviously how talented that offense is, but just as a team. The defensive additions that all those teams have gotten and things like that. I'm just really looking forward to the competitive nature that those games are going to hold. I'm excited for, you know, obviously us, but the fans to watch those games as well. 

"It's going to be really cool. It's going to be a lot of fireworks for those games."

The Denver Broncos are looking forward to a new era after the team's record-breaking sale to the Walton-Penner family ownership group was confirmed.

The deal, worth $4.65billion, a record for any American sports franchise, was unanimously approved by NFL owners on Tuesday.

And the group, fronted by Walmart heir Rob Walton, could not wait to get started.

"We are just so excited to become officially a part of the Broncos," Walton said. "It's a big, big day for us. Really, really exciting.

"It's been a great process and I want to extend a thanks with all the owners we've been involved with. Their warm greeting and support as we've met them along the way – haven't met all of them yet, but we're getting close – has just been good.

"It's a very wonderful group to become associated with.

"We want to acknowledge [former owner] Pat Bowlen's outstanding legacy, also, as well as the family. Pat's leadership and commitment to build a successful team and business, and we'll continue to build on that.

"Putting a winning team on the field is our number one priority. We can't wait to get to Denver, join our new colleagues and get to work."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added: "This is a group that is going to be great for the Denver community.

"Their commitment to winning, but more importantly their commitment to making sure the Broncos franchise is an important part of the Denver community. We're thrilled about that."

Denver Broncos pair Tim Patrick and Damarea Crockett are both set to miss the entire 2022 season after suffering torn ACL injuries during Tuesday's practice.

Patrick made a leaping grab on a pass from Russell Wilson, but upon landing and planting his foot to make a move, his knee buckled and he went down to the ground.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Tuesday that the Broncos were concerned he had suffered a significant injury.

It was later reported by Mike Klis of 9NEWS that the diagnosis was not good, with an MRI apparently revealing it to be a torn ACL, meaning Patrick will miss the whole of next season.

Second-year running back Crockett also revealed he had suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season after hobbling off the practice field.

Losing Patrick will be a big blow for Denver as he was expected to see an increased role in first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense with Wilson at quarterback.

The 28-year-old Patrick led the Broncos with five touchdown catches last season, while ranking third on the team in receiving yards (734) and receptions (53). It was his second straight season with 50+ catches, 700+ receiving yards and 5+ TD receptions.

Undrafted out of Utah, Patrick is entering his fifth season after signing a three-year, $34million contract extension with Denver last November.

Denver Broncos wide receivers Tim Patrick and Damarea Crockett are both set to miss the entire 2022 season after suffering torn ACL injuries during Tuesday's practice.

Patrick made a leaping grab on a pass from Russell Wilson, but upon landing and planting his foot to make a move, his knee buckled and he went down to the ground.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Tuesday that the Broncos were concerned he had suffered a significant injury.

It was later reported by Mike Klis of 9NEWS that the diagnosis was not good, with an MRI apparently revealing it to be a torn ACL, meaning Patrick will miss the whole of next season.

Second-year running back Crockett also revealed he had suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season after hobbling off the practice field.

Losing Patrick will be a big blow for Denver as he was expected to see an increased role in first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense with Wilson at quarterback.

The 28-year-old Patrick led the Broncos with five touchdown catches last season, while ranking third on the team in receiving yards (734) and receptions (53). It was his second straight season with 50+ catches, 700+ receiving yards and 5+ TD receptions.

Undrafted out of Utah, Patrick is entering his fifth season after signing a three-year, $34million contract extension with Denver last November.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick is set to miss the entire 2022 season after being carted off the field with a right knee injury sustained during Tuesday's practice.

Patrick made a leaping grab on a pass from Russell Wilson, but upon landing and planting his foot to make a move, his knee buckled and he went down to the ground.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Tuesday that the Broncos were concerned he had suffered a significant injury.

It was later reported by Mike Klis of 9NEWS that the diagnosis was not good, according to sources, with an MRI apparently revealing it to be a torn ACL, meaning Patrick will miss the whole of next season.

Second-year running back Damarea Crockett was also getting an MRI after hobbling off the practice field and it is believed he also suffered a significant knee injury.

Losing Patrick will be a big blow for Denver as he was expected to see an increased role in first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett's offense with Wilson at quarterback.

The 28-year-old Patrick led the Broncos with five touchdown catches last season, while ranking third on the team in receiving yards (734) and receptions (53). It was his second straight season with 50+ catches, 700+ receiving yards and 5+ TD receptions.

Undrafted out of Utah, Patrick is entering his fifth season after signing a three-year, $34million contract extension with Denver last November.

The Denver Broncos have announced that seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has joined the team's ownership group.

The Broncos released a statement on Tuesday from Rob Walton on behalf of the Walton-Penner family ownership group, saying: "We're delighted to welcome seven-time Formula One world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to our ownership group.

"He is a champion competitor who knows what it takes to lead a winning team and a fierce advocate for global equality, including in his own sport.

"With over 100 race wins, Lewis is considered the most successful F1 driver of all time. His resilient spirit and standard of excellence will be an asset to the ownership group and the Broncos organisation."

Hamilton's 103 race victories are the most in F1 history, and his seven titles are tied with Michael Schumacher for the most all-time. He is winless so far this season and sits in sixth place in the drivers' standings.

He wrote on his Twitter page: "Excited to join an incredible group of owners and become a part of the @Broncos story!!

"Honoured to work with a world class team and serve as an example of the value of more diverse leadership across all sports."

Russell Wilson, the Broncos' new quarterback for the 2022 season, wrote: "Congrats @LewisHamilton. Winning is a Habit! #LetsRide"

An agreement was reached in June for the sale of the Broncos in a deal worth $4.65billion, a record for an American sports franchise. NFL owners are expected to approve the sale this month.

Ownership of the Broncos will be transferred to the Walton-Penner family ownership group, headed by Walmart heir Rob Walton.

It sets a new benchmark for the price of professional sports franchises in the United States by over $2billion, topping the purchase of the New York Mets ($2.4billion) by hedge fund manager Steve Cohen in 2020.

An agreement has been reached for the sale of the Denver Broncos in a deal reportedly worth $4.65billion, a new record for an American sports franchise.

Ownership of the Broncos will transfer to the Walton-Penner family ownership group, headed by Walmart heir Rob Walton.

It sets a new benchmark for the price of professional sports franchises in the United States, clearing the purchase of the New York Mets ($2.4billion) by nearly $2billion, and going for more than double the price of the Carolina Panthers ($2.27billion).

The Panthers were the last NFL franchise to change hands in 2018.

The figure is similar to that recently paid by a consortium led by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly for the purchase of Premier League side Chelsea ($5.2billion).

In a statement after the agreement was announced, Walton said: "We are thrilled to be selected to move forward with the purchase of the Denver Broncos.

"[We] are inspired by the opportunity to steward this great organisation in a vibrant community full of opportunity and passionate fans.

"Having lived and worked in Colorado, we've always admired the Broncos. Our enthusiasm has only grown as we've learned more about the team, staff and Broncos Country over the last few months."

The sale is expected to take between 60 and 90 days to finalise, but that is just a formality, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Denver Broncos will make no excuses in 2022, says Tim Patrick, because it is "Super Bowl or bust" for a new-look team.

The Broncos were a miserable 7-10 at the bottom of the AFC West last year but have reshaped their organisation ahead of the new season.

A blockbuster trade for quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks was the standout piece of business, but the Broncos also have a new coach in Nathaniel Hackett and a new offensive coordinator in Justin Outten.

While still playing in a highly competitive division, Denver's outlook has now changed completely.

And fifth-year wide receiver Patrick, who will hope to benefit from Wilson's arrival, has outlined the team's need for a fast start.

"We have to do things on our own, so we can get it," he said, "because we don't want to be one of those teams to make excuses – new coach, new quarterback, new offense – and we don't get going until the end of the year.

"We want to come out the gate firing on all cylinders, because it's Super Bowl or bust this year."

Those standards have already been raised by Wilson, who won a Super Bowl in Seattle.

"He's a big presence and he carries himself the right way," Patrick added.

"If you see Russ doing it and you're not... if you can't put in extra work, you're not serious about winning and you don't belong on this team."

Russell Wilson is determined not to be caught up in the emotion of his Week 1 return to Seattle after leaving the Seahawks for the Denver Broncos.

Wilson's 10-season career on the Seahawks, which included their Super Bowl XLVIII success, ended this offseason with his trade to the Broncos.

The 2022 NFL schedule release then threw up an early treat, with the Broncos visiting Lumen Field on September 12, in Wilson's first regular season game for the team.

But for all the fond memories the nine-time Pro Bowler has of his team as a Seahawk, his focus will be on a first win in Broncos colours.

"I think it's going to be an exciting time," Wilson told reporters. "Obviously, Seattle's meant the world to me over the past 10 years.

"It's a special place, special place to play, Lumen Field. I have a high regard for all those guys over there and what they do.

"I think, for me, it's non-emotional, though – it has got to be non-emotional.

"You've got to be able to go into it with an understanding that it's just ball – and also understand that there's been amazing times. There's been a lot of touchdowns there, won a lot of games there, so I had a great experience.

"It'll always be a special place in my heart forever. So, for me, it's about going up there and trying to play the best football for our football team here and try to go win."

Crucially, Wilson is set to get in Denver what he was denied in Seattle, an offense shaped entirely around his ability at QB.

New Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said: "We want to build this thing completely around him and make sure that he's comfortable and watch him come alive."