Tag: John Elway

“Greek,” former Broncos trainer, recognized by Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Broncos trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos received well-deserved recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The longest-tenured member of the Denver Broncos, former trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos was recently recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with an Award of Excellence.

This particular award recognizes “significant contributors to the game off the field.” Antonopulos was recognized alongside 14 additional Award of Excellence recipients from categories ranging from athletic trainers to public relations personnel. These unsung heroes each touched their particular teams in profound ways.

Antonopulos was a 45-year veteran of the Broncos, seeing them through all eight Super Bowl teams, treating the injuries of Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis, among the many other players he looked over. Antonopulos is also no stranger to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was the presenter for the late Pat Bowlen’s induction into Canton.

This award is just the latest of the hardware Antonopulos has won over the years. In 2011, he was awarded the Fain-Cain Memorial Award, an honor given annually to an NFL trainer who best exemplifies a long-term commitment to the NFL as well as exemplary performance. Antonopulos also received the NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award (1987), the National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award (1996) and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2006).

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Report: Broncos wanted to trade up for QB Sam Darnold in 2018

The Broncos reportedly tried to trade from No. 5 to No. 2 to draft Sam Darnold in 2018, but the Giants were not interested.

With the benefit of hindsight, NFL fans and pundits routinely mock the Denver Broncos for passing on quarterback Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL draft.

The Broncos picked pass rusher Bradley Chubb fifth overall that year. Two picks later, the Buffalo Bills landed Allen.

Had then-general manager John Elway managed to pull off a trade, Denver could have made an even bigger blunder than staying put at No. 5 and picking Chubb.

Check out this nugget from Dan Benton of Giants Wire, citing reporting from SNY’s Connor Hughes:

After learning that Baker Mayfield would go No. 1 overall, John Elway was desperate to trade up for quarterback Sam Darnold. He was ready to offer the Giants a king’s random.

Then-general manager Dave Gettleman ignored the call.

Elway reportedly wanted to trade up from No. 5 to No. 2 to ensure he could jump the New York Jets and land Darnold. The New York Giants were not interested because they were locked in on picking running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick.

Mayfield went No. 1, followed by Barkley, Darnold and cornerback Denzel Ward. Then the Broncos drafted Chubb fifth overall. It’s impossible to know how Darnold might have fared in Denver, but he went 13-25 with the Jets and then 8-9 with the Carolina Panthers.

Trading a “king’s ransom” for Darnold would have been a mistake — not as big of a mistake as passing on Allen, but arguably a worse option than drafting Chubb. Elway stepped down three years after that draft. Darnold has since spent time with three teams and he’s set to become a free agent in March.

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Broncos fans were so devastated by John Elway handing the Super Bowl trophy to the rival Chiefs

John Elway poured so much salt in the Broncos’ wound.

It’s probably a very challenging time to be a fan of any AFC West team that isn’t the Kansas City Chiefs. Sunday night’s overtime win in Super Bowl 58 officially cemented Patrick Mahomes and friends as a dynasty. And it doesn’t seem like their run is ending any time soon.

That’s rather unfortunate for anyone who roots for the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers. For one, the Chiefs won a championship on the Raiders’ home field. It usually doesn’t get more painful than that. But Sunday evening was likely more taxing on the Denver faithful than anyone else in this division.

Why? Because Broncos legend John Elway was the guest presenter for the Lombardi Trophy. He was picked long in advance, so it’s not like he had a choice, but it still had to sting Denver fans watching their best player ever hand a title to a hated rival:

The Broncos have just one win over the Chiefs since September 2015. Barring some completely unforeseen turnaround, they’re likely not going to shift their fortunes with Kansas City any time soon. Oh, by the way, the Chiefs’ latest Super Bowl win now means they have more Lombardi Trophies (4) than the Broncos (3), too. Oof.

Having a Denver icon like Elway be the man to literally give the Chiefs their latest championship isn’t something I’d wish upon my worst sports enemy.

Twitter can’t believe John Elway delivered Super Bowl trophy to Chiefs

As if the Chiefs winning another Super Bowl wasn’t painful enough.

After the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday evening, John Elway — yes, John Elway — delivered the Super Bowl trophy to the Chiefs.

Elway, of course, played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1998, reaching five Super Bowls and winning two titles before retiring in 1999. Elway went 17-12 against the Chiefs in his career, but the Broncos have struggled against their division rival in more recent seasons.

Last fall, new head coach Sean Payton helped Denver snap a 16-game losing streak to Kansas City that dated back to 2015. The Chiefs have been a thorn in the Broncos’ side for years, and they just won their third Super Bowl in a five-year span.

So it’s no surprise that fans in Denver were shocked (and annoyed) to see Elway hand KC the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted on Twitter/X.

This 49ers team could have been a Broncos team

The Broncos could have hired Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch in 2017, and they also explored trading up for Christian McCaffrey in the draft.

For the second time in five years, the San Francisco 49ers are in a Super Bowl. Perhaps the Denver Broncos could have been in a similar scenario had a few hires gone their way in 2017.

After former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak stepped down for health reasons following the 2016 season, the candidates to replace him included Kyle Shanahan, the son of legendary former coach Mike Shanahan.

Shanahan interviewed for Denver’s opening, but the team, led by John Elway and Joe Ellis at the time, ultimately decided to hire Vance Joseph instead. Joseph went 11-21 in two seasons before being fired. Shanahan has reached four conference title games (and two Super Bowls) since being passed over by the Broncos.

That same year, San Francisco hired former Denver safety John Lynch as their general manager. The Broncos did not have a GM job available for Lynch because Elway held that role, but late former team owner Pat Bowlen offered Lynch a job with the team “many times.”

Lynch waited for the perfect opportunity, which arrived when the 49ers offered him the GM position. Had things gone differently, the Broncos could have had Shanahan as their head coach and Lynch as a member of the front office. But wait, there’s more…

That same spring, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey — the son of legendary Denver receiver Ed McCaffrey — was a top prospect in the NFL draft. Elway and the Broncos attempted to trade up for McCaffrey on draft day but the price proved to be too steep.

McCaffrey was picked eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers. Denver stayed put at No. 20 and landed Utah left tackle Garett Bolles. After struggling early in his career, Bolles earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. He’s a good player, but McCaffrey is an elite player, winning Offensive Player of the Year this season after leading the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards.

Seven years ago, the Broncos could have hired Shanahan and Lynch, and (for a price) traded up to land McCaffrey as well. Some fans in Denver might contend that it wouldn’t matter if the Broncos still didn’t find a quarterback, but Shanahan has proven he can win without an elite QB.

Denver’s connections to San Francisco don’t stop with Shanahan, Lynch and McCaffrey, either.

Brian Griese, the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach, was Elway’s backup when the Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII. Klay Kubiak, San Fran’s assistant QBs coach, is the son of Gary Kubiak, who served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and QBs coach for back-to-back Super Bowl wins under Shanahan in the late 1990s, then he won a title as Denver’s head coach in 2015.

Anthony Lynn, the 49ers’ assistant head coach and running backs coach, was a backup behind Terrell Davis for a pair of Super Bowl wins. Bobby Turner, another San Fran running backs coach, held that same role with the Broncos under Mike Shanahan from 1995-2009, winning two Super Bowls.

With so many connections to Denver, this San Francisco squad should have the full backing of Broncos Country on Super Bowl Sunday.

View all of the Broncos players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

After adding Randy Gradishar, how many former Broncos are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame now? Here’s the full list.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar was announced as a member of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class on Thursday night.

So, how many players do the Broncos have in the Hall of Fame now? That depends on who you believe qualifies for the count.

There are obvious players — running back Floyd Little, quarterback John Elway, safety Steve Atwater, tight end Shanahan Sharpe, offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, running back Terrell Davis and cornerback Champ Bailey are obvious Broncos Hall of Famers. That’s seven.

Quarterback Peyton Manning only played four years in Denver, but he won the AFC West in all four seasons and won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos. That’s eight. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, but he won his ring in Denver. Nine.

John Lynch won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but he, like Manning, played the final four years of his career with the Broncos — and he’s a member of the team’s Ring of Fame. Ten.

So Gradishar is essentially the 11th Denver player to reach Canton. There are others, though. Safety Brian Dawkins played three seasons with the Broncos. Cornerback Willie Brown played four seasons in Denver before a 12-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. Running back Tony Dorsett and cornerback Ty Law also spent one season each with the Broncos.

Additionally, late team owner Pat Bowlen was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2019. So there are at least a dozen members of the Hall of Fame who Broncos fans can claim as their own. Up next should be former coach Mike Shanahan, who was snubbed again by voters in 2023.

Here’s a quick list of every former Bronco in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On this date: Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999

The Denver Broncos won their second Super Bowl in franchise history on this date (Jan. 31) in 1999.

On this date — January 31 — in 1999, the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons, 34-19.

This game was the swan song for Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who rode off into the sunset after the game as the contest’s MVP. Elway went 18-of-29 passing for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Elway also also ran for one touchdown, which has been immortalized in Super Bowl history.

In many ways, the 1998 team was the best in franchise history even until now. The Broncos went 14-2 in the regular season, which is still the franchise mark for wins in a season. Running back Terrell Davis became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season, not including the playoffs.

Kicker Jason Elam tied a then-NFL record with a 63-yard field goal during the regular season.

As a whole, Denver led in 52 of the 64 quarters in 1998. That continued into the Super Bowl, where the Broncos led from start to finish, dominating the Falcons and former head coach Dan Reeves en route to back-to-back championships.

The 25th anniversary of the 1998 team happened in 2023. Hopefully the memory of these Super Bowl teams resonates in the minds of these Denver players to look to future success.

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Giants’ Dave Gettleman ignored Broncos’ call during 2018 NFL draft

The Denver Broncos tried to offer the New York Giants a major trade during the 2018 NFL draft but then-GM Dave Gettleman ignored the call.

When the New York Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, it was a widely controversial decision.

There was a segment of the Giants’ fanbase that was in love with the pick, but a separate segment who felt they overreached. That opinion was shared by most analysts and experts, who argued that the running back position — not necessarily Barkley himself — was overvalued.

That debate rages to this day and no amount of success Barkley can attain will change that. It’s an issue that persists within his own contract negotiations.

Now, with Barkley slated to become an unrestricted free agent in March, the discussion has resurfaced. Did the Giants make the right choice with that pick? Should Barkley get a big-money contract?

Many of Barkley’s teammates believe the Giants should break the bank for him. But the outside perception remains the same: No running back is worth a hefty investment.

Ultimately, this entire situation could have been avoided.

Connor Hughes of SNY reports that the Denver Broncos called the Giants on draft night in 2018 and had a major offer prepared for the No. 2 spot.

After learning that Baker Mayfield would go No. 1 overall, John Elway was desperate to trade up for quarterback Sam Darnold. He was ready to offer the Giants a King’s random.

Then-general manager Dave Gettleman ignored the call.

“I remember talking to Mike Maccagnan about this because you remember the Jets were drafting third,” Hughes said during a Friday appearance on WFAN. “I’m like, dude, weren’t you nervous like that the Browns and Giants were gonna go quarterback-quarterback and suddenly you’re landing the number three, which would have been Josh Rosen, because after drafting Christian Hackenberg, they weren’t gonna go with a project like Josh Allen again — and he goes, ‘no, because we had our sources that said the Giants were so locked in on Barkley at number two.’

“He goes, ‘I wasn’t worried until the morning of the draft happened, and we got word that it wasn’t Sam going one, that Baker was going one.’ They thought they were getting Baker at three. They had Sam as their number one quarterback, but thought they were getting Baker at three — and he told me that the only time he got worried was that morning, because he knew the only person that loved Sam more than him was John Elway with the Broncos, and he was petrified that John was going to call the Giants and offer the house for No. 2 in order to get Sam Darnold.”

And they did. Or at least they tried to.

“He told me he saw John and said to him, ‘I was surprised you didn’t do that, I really thought you were trying to jump us,’ and they did — but Dave wouldn’t answer the phone,” Hughes said. “Dave was so locked in on No. 2 that he wouldn’t answer the phone. So, when Dave said in his press conference they didn’t need to even take calls, they ran it up to get Barkley — he was not lying.”

Barkley went on to win the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award but his presence hasn’t tipped the scale for New York. There’s no telling how much Gettleman could have gotten back in that trade, but it could have set the Giants up to be better than they’ve been.

Gettleman and the Giants “parted ways” following the 2021 season.

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On this date: Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII in 1998

John Elway and the Denver Broncos won their first Super Bowl 25 years ago today.

On this date in 1998 — January 25 — the Denver Broncos were finally able to win their first world championship, 31-24, over the Green Bay Packers.

After numerous appearances and numerous losses on the NFL’s biggest stage, the Broncos were thought to have been almost an afterthought to the defending Super Bowl-winning Packers. Green Bay came into Super Bowl XXXII as 11-point favorites, and the NFC had won the Super Bowl for 13 consecutive years.

The game featured eight future Pro Football Hall of Famers, five from the Broncos (John Elway, Terrell Davis, Steve Atwater, Pat Bowlen and Shannon Sharpe) and three from the Packers (Brett Favre, Reggie White and Ron Wolf).

Throughout the game, Davis rushed for three touchdowns, which is still a Super Bowl record that stands today. Elway also ran for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

The most iconic moment of the game came late in the fourth quarter, on a third down run made by Elway. Elway ran, leaped and was hit by three Green Bay defenders, spinning him in the air at the first down marker. “The Helicopter,” as it was later come to be known as, was recognized as the 33rd most memorable play in NFL history during the league’s celebration of its 100th year.

After knocking down Brett Favre’s final pass, the Broncos knelt down to win the game. At the end of it all, owner Pat Bowlen hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, declaring, “This one’s for John!” It became the first of three titles in franchise history.

https://youtu.be/WmZdHyQSR90?si=paTShCTe15y_FWk1

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5 things to know about new Commanders GM Adam Peters

Get to know Commanders’ new GM Adam Peters.

The Washington Commanders kicked off a new era Friday, hiring San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters as the franchise’s general manager.

The move has been well received around the NFL due to Peters’ experience and reputation. The 44-year-old has spent the past seven seasons with San Francisco, including the final three as its assistant GM. During that time, the 49ers have built and maintained one of the NFL’s best rosters.

Next up for Peters and Washington is finding a new head coach. Reports have linked the Commanders to Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Regardless, expect Peters to have a significant say in Washington’s next head coach.

Peters becomes the first significant front-office hire of new owner Josh Harris.

Here are five things to know about Peters.