John Elway Admits His 'Hope' for What His Broncos Legacy Will Be
In case you missed it, John Elway has officially parted ways with the Denver Broncos after 11 years as the team's top football executive and one as a front-office consultant. The Duke of Denver spent the last year working with the general manager he hand-selected to succeed him after he relinquished the position following the 2020 season.
With GM George Paton, head coach Sean Payton, and the new Walton/Penner ownership group, the Broncos are in good hands, according to Elway. After the last seven years of darkness in Denver, hope shimmers on the horizon.
Elway will be riding off into a sunset of a different hue — in the opposite direction as the Broncos. He's focused now on enjoying the fruits of his 28 years with the Broncos — 16 as a player and 12 as a front-office guy — which means spending time with his family, golfing, and seeing the parts of the world he's always dreamed of.
As Elway moves on from the Broncos, it's fair to wonder what his lasting legacy will be. In an excellent column by The Denver Gazette's Woody Paige, Elway was asked point blank how he hopes his legacy will be perceived.
“Good question. I’ve always let everyone else frame that answer," Elway told Paige. "My thoughts are the Broncos always have been loyal to me, and I always have been loyal to the Broncos. As a player and an executive, they gave 28 years, and I hope I gave back to the Broncos and the fans for all my 28 years. It didn’t end as well as I hoped, and I made mistakes. But we did win another Super Bowl. Most important is the great relationships I’ve fostered in my 40 years in Colorado.
“Everyone wants to be remembered for being good at their craft. I’m proud of what we all have accomplished together. I did everything to be the best I could.’’
Alas, unlike his playing career, Elway's front-office tenure at the helm of the Broncos didn't end with the ultimate triumph. Instead, after starting off with a bang over his first five years as a Broncos executive, Elway's last seven seasons end with... a whimper.
However, Elway didn't ask for his hand-picked coach and close friend, Gary Kubiak, to step down as head coach one year after helping to lead the team to victory in Super Bowl 50. His partnership with Kubiak was Elway's plan A for life after Peyton Manning, and when his old backup quarterback and training camp roommate relinquished his job following the 2016 season, the Duke of Denver tried to pivot.
But none of the head-coaching moves or the quarterback acquisitions Elway made panned out. The Broncos posted consecutive losing seasons after Kubiak stepped down, failing at the hands of Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, and most recently, Nathaniel Hackett.
However, Broncos Country would be wise to remember Elway's accomplishments as the team's architect from 2011-15. Over that span, Elway delivered five straight AFC West titles, two AFC crowns, and the Broncos' third World Championship.
Elway's iconic 'This one's for Pat!' following Super Bowl 50, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in honor of the late owner who paid tribute to him in similar fashion after the veteran QB led the Broncos to their first World Championship in Super Bowl XXXII, will be indelibly imprinted on the collective memories of fans the world over.
In the end, as Elway himself admits, what his lasting legacy will be is not up to him to decide. That will be dictated by fans and the media. But the farther the Broncos get away from the dark days of the post-Super Bowl era, the more Elway will be remembered for his romping successes.
First thing's first, though: for that process to take shape, the new leadership in Denver has to lead the team out of the doldrums.
"It was time to step aside and let all the new people take over," Elway told Paige. "I’ve been with the Broncos for 28 years over the past 40 years since I came to Denver, and I can’t think of a better ownership that (the late) Pat (Bowlen) could have as his successor. The Walton-Penner ownership group wants to win, intends to win and has the wherewithal to win. I’ll always be a Bronco and a fan, and I told (CEO) Greg Penner I’m here if they call on me for anything.’’
Rest easy, John. You've earned it.
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