Elway Wants a Piece of the Broncos

For his 50^th birthday, John Elway picked out a present he might wait a few years buy for himself. The Hall of Fame quarterback admitted he one day wants to be a part owner of an NFL franchise and ideally would like that to happen in Denver, the city in which he put football on the map. When Elway stepped away from the mini-dynasty he ran from under center, after winning his second consecutive Superbowl in 1999, there were few doubters that 7 would be more than a retired number hanging from the faade of Mile High Stadium. However, in Mike Shanahan’s tenure at the helm of the Broncos after Elway’s retirement, the relationship between to coach and former quarterback was reportedly strained, as rumors flew about Shanahan not wanting Elway in an executive role and perhaps some jealousy on Shanahan’s part of Elway’s cemented role as the beloved face of the franchise. Though few, if any, outside the two men know exactly why the relationship deteriorated, Elway was discouraged from participating in team events or offering advice to players and staff under Shanahan’s watch.When replacement Josh McDaniels took the helm, one of his indubitably genius moves (though others have been openly questioned) was to welcome Elway back with open arms. McDaniels appears to have fully repaired the rift between the Broncos and their greatest player of all time, inviting him to minicamps and opening up to any wisdom he might have, both for himself and for his players. Elway’s announcement that he would be interested in moving into a part ownership position, and his preference for that to take place in Denver, is certainly evidence that there are no more hard feelings. A working relationship, at the very least, with Denver’s favorite football son can only be seen as a good sign, and though John can’t get the Broncos back on track from on the field, he could definitely be of use it an advisory capacity.