John Elway got lucky by signing an aging Peyton Manning and winning a Super Bowl early in his front office tenure with the Denver Broncos that ended in 2021.
That team was loaded defensively, as Elway admits, and Von Miller was at his peak on defense. All it needed was a crafty legend who still could manage the game well enough to help the team win the Super Bowl.
John Elway Was Poor Evaluator Of QB Talent As Broncos GM
After that win, however, Elways was unable to draft, develop or sign another franchise level quarterback.
In fact, he set the franchise back light years by not finding a franchise QB to repoace Manning despite having the opportunity via the draft — and he knows it.
The franchise struggled under Elway producing just one winning season after the Super Bowl victory, and even back then he had no problem admitting he was the problem.
“This is on me too. I’m responsible too,” said Elway to ESPN. “And we have looked at everything — at all of our decisions, personnel, and coaching.
During Elway’s tenure as GM Denver had a musical chairs of mid QBs.
He struck out more than Reggie Jackson in his prime when it came to talent evaluation at that position, which is surprising considering how great Elways was at the position.
Case Keenum, Joe Flacco and Drew Lock never panned out for Elway. In recent seasons, Teddy Bridgewater was washed and so was Russell Wilson.
The bad luck continued after Elway’s departure.
With the expensive Wilson experiment having failed, the franchise is left with rookie Bo Nix, former first-round bust Zach Wilson or Jarrett Stidham to take over the reins at quarterback.
That’s a QB room that can force most GMs into retirement.
If Elway was more shrewd with his talent evaluation, current Broncos GM George Paton might not be in the dire predicament he’s in.
John Elways Wishes He Drafted Josh Allen Instead Of Bradley Chubb In 2018
In a recent appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” the legendary Broncos quarterback admitted that Buffalo Bills All-Pro QB Josh Allen was his type of quarterback and that passing on him in the 2018 NFL draft was his “biggest mistake” as Denver’s general manager.
“I know he is [my type],” Elway told the hosts. “Last year, I played golf with him, and I’m wondering how long is it going to take him to realize that I passed on him and took Bradley Chubb instead? And it took him two and a half holes to bring it up. And I loved him right? Just, you know, he was my type and you’re right. That was probably my biggest mistake of my GM days was not taking Josh [Allen].”
Instead he took Bradley Chubb, who did have 11 sacks in his rookie season and looked like a star.
Denver tried to sell us Russell Wilson and a potential Super Bowl and neither he nor the franchise were up to the task or being honest with themselves. Head coach Sean Payton included.
Related: If Denver Broncos GM John Elway Were Black, He Would Have Been Fired Years Ago
Now, as they sit with one of the worst crop of QBs in a QB-plentiful AFC, pitted against young guns who have been drafted over the past five seasons, Elway, still a revered member of Broncos National, winning two Super Bowls at the end of the 90s, can only honestly reflect on how he’s the guy who brought them three Super Bowls and also ensured that they wouldn’t see one anytime soon.
