Broncos’ Owner Pat Bowlen Acknowledges Alzheimer’s, Relinquishes Control of the Team

Long-time Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is giving up control of the team after acknowledging he has Alzheimer's Disease. It's been five years since Bowlen admitted he was suffereing from short-term memory loss.

The Denver Post reports that Broncos' team president Joe Ellis will assume control of the team as Bowlen focuses on his health.

There are no plans to put the team up for sale, as Bowlen has made it clear he wants ownership of the team to stay in the family. He has seven children.

Bowlen has owned the Broncos for 30 years and has seen his team make six Super Bowl appearances and win two championships.

Last year, Bowlen became the first NFL owner to win 300 games in 30 years with the Broncos making 16 playoff appearances during that span.

While the Broncos have had their share of troubles, like struggling to find a replacement for Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, the firing of Mike Shanahan, and the hiring of Josh McDaniels, which went bad real fast.

Since then, Bowlen and Ellis have worked together to bring John Elway into the front office, hire John Fox, lure quarterback Peyton Manning to the Mile High City, win two more AFC West division titles, and a Super Bowl appearance earlier this year.

Bowlen has been a figure of stability in Denver during his 30-year stint as owner, managing to avoid the circus atmosphere that has plagued other some other NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders with Jerry Jones and the late Al Davis.