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Denver Broncos to provide more than 15,000 helmets to Colorado high school football programs

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•01/28/25•

bykeeganpope

NFL: Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks
Sep 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos owners Carrie Walton Penner, left, and Greg Penner talk with head coach Sean Payton during pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

High school football programs across Colorado will be donning new helmets next season.

On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos Foundation — headed by billionaire owners Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner — announced they will be distributing more than 15,000 new Riddell Axiom smart helmets at no cost to every high school football program in the Centennial State.

It is said to be the single largest philanthropic investment in Broncos history, and all 277 high schools statewide — from 6-man to 5A classifications — will receive the new lids.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Denver Broncos Foundation — and especially to Owners Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner — for their generosity and kindness in this endeavor as it is truly significant,” CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger said in a press release. “This initiative will have a lasting positive impact on high school football programs and athletes across Colorado for years to come. With an added focus on health and safety, it underscores the Denver Broncos’ organization’s steadfast commitment to athletics and to fostering strong communities throughout the state. This initiative also provides an extraordinary financial benefit to our member schools, reflecting a level of support and dedication that is truly invaluable.”

According to the release, schools will receive helmet starter kits that include basic maintenance items, extra visors, face masks and more. 

The foundation will provide each school a four-year subscription to InSite Analytics and a Riddell Sideline Device to monitor and analyze impacts on the helmets. The data can be used by coaches to then identify and address flaws in technique to and reduce potential injuries.

The helmets traditionally retail for $750 per unit, making the foundation’s investment well over $10 million into the Colorado high school football community. Earlier this year, the Broncos helped Colorado sanction girls high school flag football in 2024 as the sport grows across the country.

Schools will receive 25 percent of the donated helmets each year of the program (2025-28) based on the average roster size of their team’s classification.