Denver Broncos legend John Elway has found success as both a player and in the front office of the franchise. He rode off into the sunset of retirement in 1998 as a player after leading the team to a Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons, wrapping up back-to-back titles.
In 2011, after some middling success, Elway was brought on as director of player personnel. His presence was exactly what the franchise needed as they made the postseason five straight years, capped off with a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 season.
Alas, success has been hard to come by in the Mile High City since. That was the last time the Broncos made the playoffs and Elway has since stepped away from an official position with the franchise after being a consultant in 2022.
But, his opinion is still one that carries a lot of weight in Denver. He recently spoke about the direction of the franchise and he is very excited about what the future holds now that Sean Payton is taking over as head coach. He spoke to Lionel Bienvenu of ABC 7 Denver about the team.
“I am excited. He’s a perfect fit for where we are right now, where the Broncos are right now. Obviously, he has a lot of skins on the wall,” Elway said. “He won a Super Bowl before and won a ton of football games. I don’t think there could have been a better fit. I think he will be great.”
Payton is looking to end a stretch of ineptitude for the Broncos, as he is the fourth head coach in seven years. The last head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, lasted one season before he was relieved of his duties.
A big reason that Hackett was let go after one season was that he and quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t mesh well. Wilson was acquired last offseason from the Seattle Seahawks, expected to be the last piece of the puzzle for the Broncos. He put together the least productive season of his career and Hackett was fired.
To get the Broncos back on track, the most important thing for Payton to do is get on the same page with Wilson. It is something that Elway believes will occur.
“Sean has a great feel for the QB position. He’s so knowledgeable on the offensive side. I think he knows what Russell will do the best. Like every good football team, we have to try to run the football and run it successfully. And if we do that, it gives Russell a much better chance to be successful in the passing game,” Elway said.
“(Wilson) is such a positive guy. I think he’s excited about it. With what was going on last year, a lot of different things, Sean brings in so much experience. I think Russell is looking forward to that coach to put him in the best position to be successful. … It was a tough year for him last year. But he’s positive and tough. He will bounce back, and I think he’s going to have a much better year this year.”
This is a big year for Wilson. Another dud like he had in 2023 and the Broncos will likely begin exploring ways to get out from under the massive contract that they signed him to. He survived one head coaching change but is unlikely to survive a second.
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