Denver Broncos iconic owner Pat Bowlen ceded control of the franchise as he continues his battle with Alzheimer's disease, the Denver Post reported.
Annabel Bowlen said in statement that her husband can no longer run the day-to-day operations of the franchise, confirming long-time speculations that Pat Bowlen has been battling Alzheimer's over the past several years.
"As many in the Denver community and around the National Football League have speculated, my husband, Pat, has very bravely and quietly battled Alzheimer's disease for the last few years," Annabel Bowlen said in a statement.
She added that her husband decided to keep his condition private because he wants to continuously be involved in the team's operations, but Annabel Bowlen admitted that the 70-year-old owner has reached the point where he can no longer perform his job effectively.
"Pat has always wanted the focus to be solely on the Denver Broncos and the great fans who have supported this team with such passion during his 30 years as owner," Annabel Bowlen said. "My family is deeply saddened that Pat's health no longer allows him to oversee the Broncos, which has led to this public acknowledgment of such a personal health condition."
According to reports, the ownership will eventually be transferred to one of Bowlen's seven children, but his long-time assistant and current team president Joe Ellis will assume control for the mean time.
In other NFL News, Jordan Wright, the granddaughter of former Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, has joined the movement calling for the team to change its monicker.
Wright said in an interview with Washington Post that she decided to remain mum about the issue surrounding the racist nature of the team's monicker, but she admitted that changes should be made as soon as possible.
"It's about respect," Wright said. "If even one person tells you that name, that word you used, offends them, then that's enough. That should be enough."
Marshall was the one who gave the team its Redskins monicker when he moved the franchise to the nation's capital in 1937, but Wright pointed out that her grandfather was unaware of the racist nature of the team's name.
