John Elway and the Denver Broncos as gone hand-in-hand, but the Hall of Fame quarterback and team legend is no longer employed by the organization. Elway has worked as a consultant for the franchise since 2021, but his contract has not been renewed.
Elway told 9News in Denver about leaving the Broncos on April 4, indicating that the team is in good hands with the new ownership. The 62-year-old noted that Broncos co-owner Greg Penner called Elways the “ultimate Bronco,” whose contract expired on March 15.
The general manager position for the Broncos was Elways’ for a decade from 2011 to 2021. In addition, he oversaw football operations as executive vice president. When George Paton was hired as general manager in 2021, Elway took more to a consulting role.
Elway still plans to be around the organization and offer support and help for Paton if needed. The consulting position may appear to be a step-down, but Elways just wanted to have some kind of connection to the team without extensive obligations.
Elway began his storied career with the Broncos in 1983. He was drafted 1st overall by the Baltimore Colts out of Stanford before being traded to the Broncos. He starred in both baseball and football at Stanford. The New York Yankees actually drafted Elways in the second round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. As a rookie, Elway struggled, completing just 47.5 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions in ten starts.
Over the next four seasons, Elway led the Broncos to a record of 42-15-1, winning AP MVP in 1987 after throwing for 3200 yards and 19 touchdowns in 12 games. He had four more Pro Bowl seasons over the next seven seasons, leading the league in completions, attempts, and yards passing in 1993.
Elway finished his playing career on top, winning back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1997 and 1998 seasons, winning MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII.
Among his other playing achievements are two-time UPI offensive player of the Year, Hall of Fame All-1990s Team, and the 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Elway retired as a player with a regular season record of 148-82-1 with 51475 yards passing, 3407 yards rushing, and 300 passing touchdowns. He had 13 consecutive seasons with at least 3000 yards passing and six seasons with at least 20 touchdowns passing.
During his time as general manager, the Broncos made five straight playoff appearances from 2011 through 2015, including four consecutive years with at least 12 wins. They made the Super Bowl twice, winning Super Bowl 50 by a score of 24-10 over the Carolina Panthers. However, the Broncos hit a wall, finishing with just one winning season and an overall record of 32-49 from 2016 through 2020.
The move ends a nearly three-decade run for Elway with the Broncos. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
