The high-stakes trial over the estate of deceased Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen has been canceled just 13 days before it was set to begin, strongly suggesting a settlement is at hand. Arapahoe (Colo.) County District Court Judge John Scipione signed a motion to stay all proceedings on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the case. The motion was proposed jointly by attorneys for both the three trustees overseeing the Patrick D. Bowlen Trust and his two oldest children, Amie Bowlen Klemmer and Beth Bowlen Wallace.
While the abrupt cancelation of the trial indicates some kind of settlement is either complete or close to completion, details are unknown. All parties declined to comment or did not reply to messages. It could mean the Broncos are headed to the market in fairly short order. If a controlling stake of the Broncos were sold outside the family, it would almost certainly set a new high-water mark for a sports franchise, experts have said. Forbes last valued the Broncos at $3.2B, and experts say their location in the rough center of the country, national fan base and historical record of on-field success (albeit not recently) could push that price higher.
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