Denver Mayor Mike Johnston made a surprise national TV appearance on Thursday, cheering on the Broncos' selection of quarterback Bo Nix during the NFL draft broadcast on ABC.
Trading in his signature brown corduroy jacket for an orange No. 80 throwback Broncos jersey, Johnston was shown celebrating in the crowd in Detroit immediately following the No. 12 overall pick.
"First of many times I’ll be cheering for Bo Nix!" Johnston posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
First of many times I’ll be cheering for Bo Nix! pic.twitter.com/s8ofrN5voA
— Mayor Mike Johnston (@MikeJohnstonCO) April 26, 2024
The post included video of the moment but from an alternate angle.
Johnston's spokesperson, Jordan Fuja, said the trip was research for a possible bid to bring the NFL draft to Denver.
"Denver is exploring a potential bid to host a future NFL draft, so he attended this year to learn more about the process and best practices for a future winning bid," Fuja said in an email.
Hosting an NFL draft can be a financial boon for a city. Detroit was projected to bring in more than $160 million from the 2024 draft, according to a report by The USA Today.
"The delegation went as a guest of the NFL Draft Committee, so tickets to the event were not paid for with city dollars, but flights and one night of lodging were," Fuja said.
Johnston planned to meet with NFL officials and the mayor of Detroit on Friday to learn more about the process and next steps, Fuja said.
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