John Elway will hand over the Denver Broncos’ day-to-day operations in 2021 to a full-time general manager.
Elway, the longtime general manager and president of football operations, announced on Monday that he will appoint a GM with full authority to oversee the personnel and football division.
Both GM and coach Vic Fangio will report to Elway.
“I’ve been working in this role for the last ten years and going back to my playing days, and I’ve always tried to do everything in my power to help the Broncos win and get better,” Elway said in a statement. ‘As part of a transition I have been thinking about for a long time, I decided to take on an increased role and appoint a general manager to lead our staff and football staff.
“Although I will remain president of football operations in 2021, the GM will give the final verdict on the draft, free agency and our list. This person will be authorized to make all football decisions, in collaboration with Vic.
“I will be there to support our GM and Vic, to give me perspective, to help with the big decisions and to be a sounding board when needed. With everything that goes into the daily responsibilities of a GM and how the work has grown, this structure will help us focus on the whole picture.
“It’s a great place with all the resources to win. We have a lot of good people on the football side, and I will be there in any way possible.
“The relationship between the GM and the head coach is very important – Vic will be involved in this appointment process. We will be throwing a wide network and I will start the search immediately with input from Vic and Joe [Ellis].
“I’m excited to start this chapter and find the next general manager of the Denver Broncos.”
It’s pretty smooth from Elway to promote himself ‘to an elevated role’ that is likely to take the heat off the Broncos’ recent fight.
Elway previously worked with a GM when he joined the Broncos for the first time in 2011 as director of player personnel, alongside Brian Xanders, before taking on the EPP and GM roles.
The Hall of Fame QB started as a CEO with five live titles. After the Tim Tebow era, Elway recruited Peyton Manning, which led to success after the season, including two AFC championships and a Super Bowl victory. Elway’s .565 winning percentage (96-74) is fourth in the NFL among current general managers.
Since Manning retired, however, it has been a steep descent for the Rocky Mountain Club. The Broncos are plagued by injuries and cannot find stability in the QB spot. He lost four seasons. It seems that Elway was finally able to hit a QB with Drew Lock, who flashed like a rookie in his last five games. However, the signalman has deteriorated this season and turned the ball around at a high pace, missed too many throws, had a messy mechanic and struggled with consistency.
Lock’s final fate is likely to fall to the next GM.
Matt Russell, who has worked with Elway for the past ten years and currently holds the title of VP of Player Staff, was given the chance to conduct an interview for the GM role. Russell has refused and would rather retire to spend time with his family, according to the Broncos.
Elway brought in a crowd of talented players during the tournament in Denver. Many people like Von Miller, Justin Simmons, Bradley Chubb, Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay and other promising young people remain on the list. Denver’s grid is not an arid landscape, thanks in part to Elway.
However, the return from Denver to the mountain top will now fall for the first time in a decade for a new GM.