The Denver Broncos have a very rich history with many impactful players. Here are the top 30 players to ever don the orange and blue…
The history of the Denver Broncos is one fans are extremely proud of.
Since the team’s inception in 1960 and Pat Bowlen’s ownership in the 1980s, the Broncos have become one of the best professional franchises in all sports.
You don’t become a great franchise without a little luck along the way, and some incredibly talented players.
The Broncos have a long list of great players who have donned the orange and blue, but who are the best of the best?
This is a franchise that annually gets screwed over in the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process, but the Broncos have no shortage of deserving players beyond just John Elway.
Thanks to their being snubbed for the hall of fame, many of these great players have not received the recognition they deserve, which is part of the reason we here at Predominantly Orange felt compelled to put together this list.
Though time spent with the team was not necessarily the most heavily weighted factor, the players on this list spent at least three seasons with the team and/or played a major role in some of the team’s finest years.
The rankings are subjective, but there’s little debate about No. 1 on the list. Here are the top 30 players in Broncos history, as told by the staff of Predominantly Orange…
Al Wilson was a defensive stalwart and the leader of the Broncos defense in the early 2000s before injuries cut his career short.
The first-round pick out of Tennessee is arguably the best middle linebacker the Broncos have ever had and is a likely addition to Denver Ring of Fame.
Wilson’s career only spanned eight seasons, but in that time, he was one of the most productive linebackers in the game. Over those eight seasons, he only missed three games.
A neck injury late in the 2006 season derailed his career before ultimately retiring.
During his reign at middle linebacker, Wilson was selected to five Pro Bowls and twice named an All-Pro. He finished his shortened career with 714 combined tackles and 21.5 sacks.
These numbers were good enough to rank ninth all-time in tackles, 10th in forced fumbles and 15th in sacks for the Broncos.
Wilson helped revolutionize the position of middle linebacker from two-down run thumper to three-down playmaker excelling in both run and pass defense.
The slightly undersized (6-feet, 240 pounds) linebacker was named to Denver’s 50th Anniversary Second Team.
– Andrew Wade
Jake Plummer‘s inclusion on this list might be surprising to some, but to me, he’s undoubtedly one of the top 30 Broncos of all-time.
Plummer led the Broncos to three straight playoff berths after signing on as a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals, another team he brought from the ashes into a playoff appearance.
The Broncos were stuck in a post-John Elway lull with records of 8-8 and 9-7 the two years prior to Plummer’s arrival.
Plummer proved to be a difference-maker for the Broncos, winning nine of his first 11 starts with the team before an injury shortened his 2003 season.
The Broncos won 39 regular season games in Plummer’s time with the team, and ‘The Snake’ ended up throwing for 11,631 yards and 71 touchdowns in four seasons with the team.
The most memorable year for Plummer and the Broncos came in 2005 when the Broncos had a dominant rushing attack, Plummer was playing efficient football and the defense was dominating opponents.
That team was arguably the best to never win a championship in Denver, and Plummer was the one leading the charge.
With Plummer under center, the Broncos became the first team to beat Tom Brady in the postseason. They also became the first Broncos team since Elway’s teams to win in the postseason.
Plummer likely could have played more than he did with the Broncos, but the team had decided to move on to Jay Cutler prematurely. He didn’t get the chance to lead the Broncos to another postseason berth in 2006 after the first 11 games of the season.
Prior to Peyton Manning‘s dominance from 2012-15, Plummer had the highest win percentage of any Broncos quarterback not named Elway.
– Sayre Bedinger
In six seasons in Denver (2010 doesn’t count due to injury), Elvis Dumervil missed just five games.
His breakout season in Denver came in 2009 when he recorded 17 sacks, 49 tackles and four forced fumbles. That is quite the résumé for a player in one season.
In his rookie season, he recorded 8.5 sacks in 13 games. He played along the defensive line as well as linebacker in Denver.
Dumervil made the Pro Bowl in 2009, 2011 and 2012 with the Broncos.
Dumervil’s time with the team, unfortunately, took a twist during the free agency period of 2012.
The Broncos wanted to sign him to a contract, but there was an issue with the fax machine. All of a sudden, Dumervil was a free agent.
Dumervil became a free agent for the fourth time in the 2018 offseason. It would be cool to see him back in a Broncos uniform for one final ride with an NFL team. However, he is 34-years-old now.
The Broncos don’t appear to be interested in signing him.
He has had a solid career despite being undersized at 5-foot-11, 257 lbs. His lack of size caused him to drop to the second day of the draft back in 2006 (before the NFL Draft was three days in length) when the Broncos took him in the fourth round, 126th overall.
– Graham Tiedtke
Like Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, John Elway managed to snag one of the best pass rushers in free agency that will be a Hall of Famer as well.
DeMarcus Ware has an interesting story attached to the Broncos and Elway.
Initially, during the offseason of 2014, the Broncos’ plan was to sign Jared Allen. Once the Dallas Cowboys released Ware, this plan changed.
Ware signed with the Broncos and he made the most of his opportunity.
Ware is a teacher in every sense of the word. Back in 2013, it was a hard season for the Broncos superstar Von Miller. He had numerous off-field incidents creating scary thoughts of releasing Miller.
Miller needed an accountability partner and player he could look up to. Ware provided that and helped send Miller’s game into another atmosphere.
The presence of Ware didn’t just affect but every pass rusher on the Broncos roster and greatly improved the others.
While Ware’s teachable moments are spectacular in their own right, he also became a vital force throughout the Denver career.
Ware became the Robin to Miller’s Batman, and both fed off one another.
Miller gets credit for the unreal 2015 postseason, but Ware deserves as much credit in his own right.
That particular playoff run helped Ware get his first and only Super Bowl and the Broncos could not have done it without his help.
He will be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer and is currently with the Broncos organization as a pass rush consultant.
– Cameron Parker
Mark Schlereth, better known as ‘Stink’, was a 10th round draft pick of the Washington Redskins in the 1989 NFL Draft.
After playing the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Redskins (where he won his first Super Bowl), Schlereth signed with the Broncos as a free agent in 1995 and immediately became synonymous with the Broncos’ glory day teams.
Schlereth was part of some of the best teams in Broncos history, and his toughness on the offensive line at left guard was a major reason this team was able to win two Super Bowl Championships, and nearly a third were it not for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1996 NFL season.
Schlereth was part of an offensive line that made the ‘zone blocking scheme’ famous and
a 2,000 yard back in 1998.
Despite his great toughness, Schlereth was unable to continue his NFL career beyond the 2000 season.
He had so many surgeries on his knees that he wouldn’t even allow himself to sign a (sizeable) contract extension.
He retired after 156 NFL games (140 career starts, 81 in Denver) with two Pro Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl rings.
– SB
Frank Tripucka’s career as a quarterback featured a variety of ups and downs.
Despite only playing three seasons with the Broncos starting in 1960, Tripucka held many interesting records for the Broncos.
He led the league in interceptions in 1960, but he also led the league with 3,000 yards passing.
This accolade made him the first quarterback in the AFL or NFL to throw for 3,000 yards. He also was the first person to throw the first ever touchdown in AFL history.
After retiring from the Broncos and football in 1963, his No. 18 jersey would be retired. Tripucka would go on to be inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1986.
When the Broncos acquired Peyton Manning via free agency in 2012, Tripucka stated that he would allow for the No. 18 to be un-retired.
At Mile High Stadium the No. 18 Jersey features both Manning and Tripucka next to John Elway’s.
– Cody Roark
Pioneers of football are too often disregarded when discussing some of the best players to ever play the game, but Lionel Taylor was a player that deserves some recognition.
Taylor was a dominant wide receiver for the Broncos starting in 1960 when the team was initially conceived.
A former linebacker who played in 1959 with the Chicago Bears, Taylor became the first ever wide receiver in professional football to catch 100 passes in a season.
He led professional football in receptions five of his seven seasons with the Broncos, with a total of 543 receptions and 44 touchdowns.
Taylor helped revolutionize the wide receiver position in a run-dominated league and was inducted into the first-ever Broncos Ring of Fame Class of 1984.
He eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving four times in his years with the Broncos.
– SB
John Lynch had a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy career in his 15 seasons in the NFL.
The reason he isn’t already in the hall of fame is simply due to the fact that there are a lot of great players who deserve to get enshrined. One day, it will be his turn.
Lynch missed just four games in his four seasons in Denver. The reason for him being so low on this list is because he spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was one of the leaders on the great Tampa defense that won the Super Bowl in 2002.
Along with Al Wilson at linebacker and Champ Bailey at cornerback, Lynch was part of a group of great defenders in Denver. He was also a key member of the Buccaneers defense during his time there (1993-2003).
Lynch was one of the hardest-hitting safeties during his time in the league. Most of his hits on offensive players would not be allowed in today’s NFL.
He would be fined A LOT of money and likely suspended if he played today.
I wish he was part of the Broncos for longer than four seasons. If he had played with Champ Bailey and some of the other star defenders on the team at the time, there’s a chance they could have been one of the better defenses and win a championship.
– GT
Rich “Tombstone” Jackson is considered arguably one of the toughest and meanest Broncos in the team’s history.
He accounted for 43 career sacks for the Broncos when he played.
Jackson made the Pro Bowl in both 1970 and 1971. His toughness was a quality that both his opponents and teammates respected. One of his signature moves as a pass rusher was the head slap.
With force and tenacity, Jackson would use the head slap as part of his ability to get to the quarterback and running back.
The NFL had to create a rule which prohibited the head slap largely in part to Jackson’s utter dominance.
He is one player that many Broncos fans forget to mention when talking about impact players in team history.
Unfortunately, Jackson’s career was cut short due to knee injuries but he sustained a dominant career whenever his body allowed him to be on the field.
"“When I think of him, I think of pain.” – Chiefs Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson (via Denver Post)"
– CR
Tom Jackson is a Bronco for life.
Jackson was a fourth-round selection of the Broncos in the 1973 NFL Draft after a stellar collegiate career at Louisville, where his number was retired in 1999.
Jackson went on to have a Ring of Fame career with the Broncos as a linebacker part of the original Orange Crush.
He was a three-time All-Pro selection from 1977-79 with a whopping 20 career interceptions at the linebacker position.
When he retired, Jackson had played in 191 career games, more than any other Broncos defensive player.
Despite being a bit undersized for the standards of today’s game (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) Jackson was a player that flew all over the field and made plays.
Though he was before my time, Jackson’s highlight reel and lasting impact on the franchise earn him a prominent spot on this list of the best players to ever don the orange and blue.
– SB
Ed McCaffrey is one of the rare players not drafted by Denver on this list.
Drafted in the third round out of Stanford, McCaffrey spent three seasons with the New York Giants and a season with the San Francisco 49ers before sticking with the Broncos.
Although his career statistics leave something to be desired compared to today’s players, his three-year run from 1998-2000 rivals any of today’s top receivers.
During the 1998 Super Bowl run, McCaffrey caught 64 passes for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns. That got him his one and only Pro Bowl selection, and he was named a second-team All-Pro.
His 2000 season was one for the ages though even compared to his 1998 season. McCaffrey set the Broncos’ single-season catch record (since broken) with 101 catches for 1,317 yards and 9 touchdowns. For his career in Denver, he is fifth all-time in receiving yards, fifth all-time in catches, and fourth all-time in touchdowns.
McCaffrey is a three-time Super Bowl champion and was named to the Broncos 50th Anniversary Team.
He is likely to be added to the Broncos Ring of Fame in the future.
– AW
Demaryius Thomas is one of the most gifted athletes to play the wide receiver position for the Broncos.
His rare strength and speed match the new-age wave of talent. Much like Floyd Little replacing Jim Brown at Syracuse, Thomas replaced another great wide receiver and arguably best ever at Georgia Tech in Calvin Johnson.
Thomas stared his Broncos career battling injuries, but with Peyton Manning, the light switch turned on and Thomas never looked back.
Consistently, Thomas has had a tremendous amount of production during his seasons with the team. From touchdowns to yardage, Thomas became a trusted figure in the corps of wide receivers.
There have been some troubles with drops, but to have it outweigh his positive time with the Broncos is asinine.
Thomas also became one of the toughest players to play the position and still produce. There have been scary injuries Thomas sustained, but he gets right back on the field fighting through the pain and succeeds.
When all is said and done, Thomas might be the best wide receiver in Broncos history. Some significant records currently held by Rod Smith are well within reach for Thomas, and he’s still only 30 years old.
– CP
Tom Nalen was as dependable as they come on the offensive line.
Nalen was drafted in the seventh round out of Boston College and after his rookie season where he started one game, never looked back. In the twelve seasons following his first, Nalen missed 10 games total (with 9 of those coming in 2002).
His 15-season NFL career included five Pro Bowl selections, three First-team All-Pro selections and two Super Bowl Championships.
He was an integral part of paving the way for all the great Denver Bronco running game. In his twelve seasons as a full-time starter, there were 10 1,000-yard rushers for Denver from six different running backs.
His efforts at the center position have led to his induction into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2013 as well as being named to the Broncos 50th Anniversary Team.
While he has not garnered a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction yet, he certainly deserves it. His longevity, athleticism, and positional abilities at the center position were rare.
– AW
Kickers aren’t often rewarded with Hall of Fame inductions or even team-specific Ring of Fame honors. Jason Elam wasn’t just your average kicker, however.
Elam had a stellar 17-year career with 15 of those years coming in Denver. After being picked by Denver in the third round out of the University of Hawaii, he went on to make three Pro Bowls, three First-team All-Pro selections and win two Super Bowls.
He currently co-holds the record for the longest field goal in NFL history at 63 yards, and he is eighth in career points with 1,983. Those 1,983 make him the Broncos’ career leader in points as well, by a long margin. Elam is also ninth in made career field goals.
For his efforts, Elam was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2016 and selected to Denver’s 50th Anniversary Team. Since Elam left Denver, the Broncos have been searching for a replacement for years shuffling through guys every 2-3 years in hopes of finding another Jason Elam.
– AW
Billy Thompson held numerous career accolades as Bronco.
Drafted in the 1969 AFL Draft, Thompson contributed to the Broncos’ lengthy defensive history of playmakers.
Thompson played his entire career as a Bronco from 1969-1981. A member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, Thompson also was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a two First-Team Team All-Pro selection.
In his career as a Bronco, he snagged 40 interceptions and holds the Broncos team record for career interception return yards at 784.
In Thompson’s rookie season, he led the NFL in kickoff and punt returns which made him the only player in NFL history to lead in those categories.
Today, Thompson is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and is a pivotal member of the Broncos organization as an Alumni Coordinator.
– CR
Simon Fletcher is a former second round pick out of the University of Houston, and he is a current inductee of the Broncos exclusive Ring of Fame. He spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Broncos, helping Denver make the playoffs five times and the Super Bowl on three occasions.
Fletcher, an edge defender before that term became popular, holds the NFL record for most consecutive games with a sack at ten. From 1989-1993, he managed double-digit sacks each season. His season high was a remarkable 16.
Although he sits 34th in all-time sacks, he is the career sacks record holder for the Denver Broncos. This record will likely fall as another Bronco great is catching up to him (Von Miller). He is also fourth in total tackles, second in forced fumbles, and second in safeties.
Simon will likely never be a Pro Football Hall of Fame selection considering he never made a Pro Bowl, but his presence in Denver helped solidify that defense. For 11 seasons, he was one of the best in the business at rushing the passer.
Arguably, he is the best edge defender in Denver’s history until Von Miller.
– AW
Randy Gradishar brought the turnovers to the Orange Crush defense. Karl Mecklenburg brought the sacks to the Denver defense.
A feared linebacker during the early 1980s into the mid-1990s, Mecklenburg was a nightmare to opposing quarterbacks. Or in his case, anyone who had the football.
Mecklenburg recorded a whopping 1,104 tackles and 79 sacks during his time with the Broncos that spanned 12 seasons. Those are incredible numbers for any linebacker. He truly wanted you to be sure you felt the pain of his tackling if you had the football.
His other numbers include five interceptions and two fumbles returned for touchdowns. He was selected to six Pro Bowls and three First-Team All-Pro nods. Quite impressive for an inside linebacker.
Like Gradishar, he fell short of a Super Bowl win. But with those numbers, he should be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is shocking that he is not in yet.
As this team begins to showcase their talents, perhaps the committee will look at the past Broncos players and consider them for enshrinement in Canton one day.
But Broncos Country knows the truth.
Karl Mecklenburg was a true force in the Orange Crush defense. One day, hopefully, he is rewarded for his hard work.
– Ty Walden
One of the weapons on the Orange Crush defense, Randy Gradishar was a force to be reckoned with in the 1970s and 1980s.
I would even say that is the best inside linebacker to play for the Broncos. He made his impact not by way of sacking the quarterback, but by helping the Broncos defense with some takeaways whenever the quarterback threw the ball.
In his 10 seasons in the NFL, Gradishar recorded 20 interceptions. That number is almost unheard of for a linebacker currently. Three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He only recorded four and a half sacks in his career. Fun fact, those sacks came during his final two years in the league.
His presence on defense earned him seven Pro-Bowl’s and two First-Team All-Pro selections. For a linebacker with 10 years in the league, that is quite impressive to have those accomplishments in almost three-fourths of your career.
While he did not win a Super Bowl in his time with the Denver Broncos, his accomplishments will hopefully earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame sometime soon.
When it will happen, we are unsure of. But I believe he has earned a spot.
– TW
Dennis Smith played each one of his 184 games in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
Smith was selected to the Pro Bowl six times and finished his Broncos career with a whopping 1,152 tackles, 30 interceptions and countless highlight reel hits.
Smith’s greatness gets overshadowed some by the great Steve Atwater, his teammate on the back-end of a legendary Broncos defense.
Smith was a first-round pick in the 1981 NFL Draft out of USC, and was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame 20 years later.
This is another player whose best days were before my time, but I will never forget growing up and hearing so many stories about the safety tandem of Smith and Atwater at their very best. These were two of the most feared hitters in the NFL at the time, players whose feature on the Broncos history DVD I would watch over and over again.
Thinking about a safety duo as great as Smith and Atwater is very exciting as a fan, and for those who were able to watch it live, I’m sure we only know a piece of the story.
Unfortunately, Smith’s career ended in 1994, just before the Broncos went on to dominate the AFC for the next four or five years, and he never won a Super Bowl with the team.
– SB
There is no question about it: Rod Smith deserves a spot on the list of all-time Broncos.
He has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2012, his fifth year out of the league.
For some reason, he has been passed over every year. Why should he be in the Hall of Fame?
Simple.
Smith was the Broncos’ all-time leader in the most important categories for a wide receiver: Receptions (849), yards (11,389), and touchdowns (68) at the time of his retirement.
He scored at least one touchdown in 66 games and has an overall touchdown count of 71. His yards and touchdown totals rank first among all undrafted players. He was able to produce solid numbers while accompanied by other great players around him.
He was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2012.
Did I mention he went undrafted in 1995? Smith should have been drafted?
Not only was he the best undrafted receiver in Broncos history, he likely is the best undrafted player in NFL history.
All of his accomplishments add up to an amazing career and the best among undrafted players. It is a head-scratcher that he has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If he didn’t deal with hip problems late in his career, Smith would have added on to his already-impressive stats. In that scenario, he would have been able to make a better case for the NFL’s ultimate destination.
– GT
Before John Lynch and Brian Dawkins, there was Steve Atwater.
Atwater was an intimidating figure at safety during the 1990s. Even in this day in age, safeties at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds are very rare.
His reactive quickness and awareness of wide receivers became second nature. However, this is not all that made Atwater special.
Atwater’s specialty was the destruction that happened when “X” receiver ran to the middle of the field. He made his presence felt immediately packing so much into one hit.
The offensive player became a deer in headlights when Atwater was roaming the back-end of the Broncos’ defense.
This is a player that transformed a defense and inspired an entire league to draft people like him.
By this logic alone Atwater is to be strongly considered for the Hall of Fame and one day the hope is to see him in Canton.
A signature moment for Atwater that Broncos fans will never forget is his famous hit on Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye.
Okoye was known for his punishing running style, and as a 250-pound back, rightly so. Atwater knocked Okoye backwards in a head-to-head collision that lives on as one of the best hits ever in the NFL.
That play embodied the type of player Atwater was throughout his whole career.
– CP
Louis Wright was a first-round (17th overall) cornerback for the Broncos from 1975 to 1986.
That was back when defensive players were allowed to do a lot more than they are now.
He played before my time, so just watching highlights of him on the Broncos’ Orange Crush defense, it’s clear he had his eye out for picking off passes. He finished his career with 26 interceptions, returning them for 360 total yards and one touchdown.
In his rookie season in 1975, Wright played 11 of 12 games, recording two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He was a big part of the team during its first Super Bowl appearance in 1977.
Around that time, the NFL enforced a couple of rule changes that were not in favor of defenses:
(1) Defenders are only permitted to make contact with receivers once. (2) Defenders are not allowed to make contact with an opponent above the shoulders with the palms of their hands, except to ward him off the line.
Despite the necessity of changing playing styles, Wright was still a dominant player for the Broncos. Wright is yet another key member of a Denver Broncos team that is not in the Hall of Fame but deserves to be.
He is in the team’s Ring of Fame and is absolutely a top-10 member of the Broncos.
– GT
Gary Zimmerman took the Los Angeles Express on his road to the NFL, and I’m not talking about some train.
Though before my time, I have seen enough documentaries on the USFL to know its impact on the NFL in the early-to-mid 1980s, and Zimmerman was one of two future NFL Hall of Famers on the same Los Angeles team (quarterback Steve Young) to spurn the NFL at the time.
After spending two seasons in the USFL, Zimmerman was a first-round pick in the 1985 Supplemental Draft by the New York Giants, who traded him to the Minnesota Vikings.
Zimmerman went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro selection between his time with the Vikings and Broncos and was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2008.
From 1993 to 1997, Zimmerman was tasked with protecting the blind side of one John Elway, and as Shannon Sharpe states in the video, there was never a question about whether or not Elway’s backside would be covered.
Zimmerman was a neutralizer at the left tackle position and paved the way for some of the best offensive years the Broncos have seen.
It wasn’t as glamorous, but Zimmerman rode off into the sunset after the 1997 season when he won his first (and only) championship in the NFL.
– SB
A Hall of Famer, Floyd Little goes under the radar as one of the best running backs to ever play the game.
Little came from the University of Syracuse. At that time, the Orangemen became “Running Back University” in nine seasons.
Hall of Fame back Jim Brown started the train. Ernie Davis came after Brown and Little followed in Davis’ footsteps.
Little was elusive and shifty. He became a player that also never shied away from contact.
With the Broncos, Little ran for 6,323 yards and 43 touchdowns. The 0-60 quickness of Little is yet another aspect of his game that goes unnoticed.
In fact, if Little played with a more prominent NFL team during those years he would be a quicker inductee into Pro Football Hall of Fame. Little was special.
His No. 44 jersey is one of very few retired in Denver.
– CP
When the Broncos completed their worst season in franchise history, they were awarded the second overall pick in the draft.
Josh McDaniels was gone, and the team had John Fox and John Elway running the show. The Broncos knew they needed to focus on defense and they went and drafted quite the prospect in Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Von Miller.
Out of all the players that Elway has drafted since he returned to the Broncos, this has been the most impactful draft pick for the franchise in a long time.
Minus a rough 2013 campaign, Miller has recorded at least double-digit sacks in every season since coming into the NFL. Teams must adjust and figure out where he is on the field. Even if he is double teamed, he finds a way to get to the quarterback.
His best performances came when it mattered the most.
During the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl 50, Von Miller put on some spectacular numbers. His relentless pressure on Tom Brady and Cam Newton was the best defensive performance I have seen from a linebacker in quite some time.
There is no doubt that Von Miller is the face of the Broncos franchise now. If he continues at this pace, there is no doubt that he will be enshrined in Canton once he hangs up the cleats.
– TW
Before there was the No Fly Zone, there was only Champ Bailey.
But when it comes to it, that was pretty much all the Denver Broncos needed in the secondary.
Bailey became a Bronco when he was traded from the Washington Redskins in 2004. Dare I say that Bailey could be the second-best trade acquisition that the Broncos received.
Of course, John Elway tops that list — no questions asked.
As a corner, it was very difficult for teams to get anything past him. Even Tom Brady had difficulties when he threw towards Bailey.
A memory that sticks out to Broncos Country was the famous 100-yard interception return on Brady. If not for Benjamin Watson, Bailey would have scored. It remains the longest non-scoring interception return in NFL history. The play ultimately turned the tide and gave the Broncos their first playoff win in the post-Elway era.
Opposing quarterbacks did not even attempt to throw it his way in his prime. It is a shame that he never got to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in his career. But there is no doubt that he became an important player in Broncos history.
Hopefully, he is rewarded by enshrinement in the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
– TW
Shannon Sharpe was an excellent find by the Broncos in the 1990 NFL Draft. His career took off very slow, as he caught just seven passes for 99 yards and one touchdown in 16 games his rookie year.
Despite his poor rookie season, his career took off and he got better each year he was in the league. At the time of his retirement after the 2003 season, Sharpe was tied for first among tight ends with thirteen receptions in one game. He also ranked No. 1 all-time in receptions (815), yards (10,060), and touchdowns (62) at the time of his retirement.
Sharpe was a four-time first-team All-Pro, including seven years in a row, starting in 1992. He won three Super Bowls in his 14-year career (two with the Broncos, one with the Ravens). He also joined players around the league at the annual Pro Bowl eight times.
With all of his accomplishments during his time in the NFL, it was obvious that he was destined to be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Sharpe was very vocal while in the league. He was a trash talker. Sometimes, he even made his offensive line teammates think, “dude, shut up!”
One of his teammates had this to say about him:
"“When you least expected it, as he called himself — ‘Big Game James’ – was going to get you.” He’d find a way to make a big catch, get a first down and keep the sticks moving. He used to always say, ‘If we move the sticks, we’ll get six.’ He was the master at that.” – Rod Smith, former Denver Broncos wide receiver"
– GT
Peyton Manning is arguably one of the best free agency pickups in franchise history.
Manning faced insurmountable odds as he tackled the reality that there was a chance he may not play again following neck surgery.
The Colts believed that Manning was never going to play at a high level again which prompted them to release him and focus on Andrew Luck as the heir apparent.
John Elway dialed up the phone and secured a meeting with Manning despite Manning having other suitors. Manning ultimately agreed to become a Bronco and the rest is history (literally).
In Manning’s four years as a Bronco, he passed for 17,112 yards, and 140 touchdowns. In 2013, Manning set the NFL on fire with an NFL record 55 touchdown passes and 5,477 yards.
During his career as a Bronco, Manning took the Broncos to two Super Bowls and he finished his career off riding into the sunset after the Broncos 24-10 win at Super Bowl 50.
Manning, despite only playing four seasons in Denver, has cemented himself as one of the organizations best players. His impact and preparation aligned perfectly for what Pat Bowlen has expected from his championship organization.
"I get asked a lot about my legacy. For me, it’s being a good teammate, having the respect of my teammates, having the respect of the coaches and players. That’s important to me.” – Peyton Manning"
– CR
When it comes to Denver Broncos running backs, no player in the history of the Denver Broncos played the position better than Terrell Davis.
Nicknamed ‘TD’, Davis was a sixth-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Many speculated that his best shot at making the roster was on special teams. There was even buzz that he would not make the final roster.
That all changed during the 1995 preseason. All it took was one huge special teams hit. The rest became history.
He became a superstar for the Broncos despite his short career in the NFL. Davis rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons in the league. His best two years came during the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
He is also part of the 2,000-yard rushing yards club. His best performances came during the playoffs, where he ran for over 100 yards in seven of his eight playoff games.
His accolades include Super Bowl XXXII MVP, 1998 NFL MVP, and two-time Super Bowl champion. Davis’ accomplishments finally rewarded him with an enshrinement in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Davis is the best running back to do it in Denver.
– TW
The best quarterback in franchise history and the history of the NFL played for the Denver Broncos.
John Elway was the consummate pro and model for what a Hall of Fame quarterback should look like.
Elway’s arm strength, accuracy, mobility, and gamer mentality place him in the everyday conversation of best all-time. Championships eluded Elway earlier in his career, but it doesn’t matter when you win — What matters is how many you win.
Elway achieved back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998. His “win at any cost” frame of mind put him in a golden situation to convert a critical first down in Super Bowl XXXII.
The play is forever remembered as “The Helicopter.”
A few plays later, Terrell Davis notched the second of his three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXII.
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Denver won Super Bowl XXXII with Elway, but Elway’s career was not finished. The next season Elway won Super Bowl XXXIII over the Atlanta Falcons.
Elway’s presence goes beyond just being a great player. He’s been a well-regarded business person. Elway was the owner of the Colorado Crush but found himself hanging out at team facilities.
The Broncos came calling to make him a paid front office executive in 2011. Elway became the Vice President of Football Operations.
His savvy nature helped snag all-time great Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and many other free agents notorious for helping achieve the team’s third Super Bowl.
Elway’s success on the field is special, but as an executive, it is near complete.
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He would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.
– CP