John Elway, the golden boy turned executive, always had a knack for drama, both on and off the field. But as he sits back, golf club in hand, he can’t help but rue a decision that may haunt him forever: passing on Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL draft.
Picture this: Elway, one of football’s greatest quarterbacks, sharing a laugh and a round of golf with Allen. “How long will it take him to realize?” Elway mused. It was just two and a half holes before Allen’s knowing smile gave it away. Elway could only shake his head, reminiscing about what could have been.
In a candid moment on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, Elway laid it all out. “I loved him,” he confessed. “He was my type. But I picked Bradley Chubb instead. Probably my biggest mistake as GM.”
Josh Allen, the Wyoming wunderkind with a cannon for an arm, was right there-just 130 miles up Interstate 25 from Denver. Yet, Elway chose the defensive dynamo from NC State, Bradley Chubb, who dazzled but couldn’t dodge the injury bug. Chubb’s stint in Denver was a roller coaster that eventually ended in Miami.
Elway’s rationale? He had just inked a deal with Case Keenum, fresh off a stellar season in Minnesota, and he was still smarting from the Paxton Lynch debacle-a first-round pick in 2016 that fizzled faster than a damp firework.
Paxton Lynch’s bust and a revolving door of quarterbacks
Paxton Lynch, the Memphis marvel, was supposed to be the next big thing. Instead, he was bested by seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian, starting just four games before Denver showed him the door in 2018. It was a decision that marked the beginning of a tailspin for the Broncos.
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From that point on, the Broncos have been on a carousel of quarterbacks-thirteen to be exact-since Peyton Manning hung up his cleats. This season promises more of the same unless Jarrett Stidham can fend off rookie Bo Nix and the reclamation project that is Zach Wilson in a three-way battle that has yet to produce a clear winner.
Elway, who led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the late ’90s, returned to the franchise in 2011 as the director of player personnel. His early success as an executive was undeniable, replacing Tim Tebow with Manning and securing another Super Bowl victory. But his magic touch waned in his later years.
His tenure saw an impressive 64-26 record in the first five seasons but a dismal 32-48 in the final five. By the end of 2020, Elway stepped down, leaving behind a legacy marred by the specter of what could have been had he trusted his gut and drafted Josh Allen.
