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Denver Broncos Regular Season Home Opener At Empower Field At Mile High Will Be At Capacity For First Time Since 2019

/ CBS Colorado

DENVER (CBS4)- When the Denver Broncos host the New York Jets in the home opener on Sunday, it will be the first time since 2019 Empower Field at Mile High will be at full capacity for a regular-season game.

Saints-Broncos
A general view of the stadium before a game between the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints on November 29, 2020, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. No fans were admitted to the game. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Last year, only 5,700 fans were allowed in the stadium as the coronavirus prompted strict restrictions. Teams around the NFL also had a limited amount of fans in the stands and the impact of the empty seats were felt leaguewide.  According to the Associated Press, NFL teams lost almost $4 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock saw firsthand how the businesses were impacted from bars and restaurants to hotels.

"Those are what we like to say bodies in our hotels. They are in our restaurants. They are in our downtown area. Our Cherry Creek area and other neighborhoods. The reality is it's an economic hit for us every Sunday the Broncos play at home. So when we're not able to have fans a lot of jobs are at stake and there are a lot of fans who depend on those jobs at Empower Field," Hancock said.

Now with Empower Field back at full capacity, the man in charge of the stadium says they are ready for fans to return.

"We are so excited to welcome Broncos Country back. It wasn't the same last year without the fans," Empower Field at Mile High General Manager Jay Roberts said. "When we have 75,000 of our fans all dressed in orange all going berserk, and that rookie quarterback (New York Jets' Zach Wilson), it's exciting."

One thing that wasn't impacted was the Broncos' current sell-out streak, which is the longest in the NFL at 415 games. The streak started back in 1970.

First published on September 24, 2021 / 1:12 PM MDT

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