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Denver Broncos legends speak at joint practices with 49ers

By Sayre Bedinger

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 08: General Manager John Elway of the Denver Broncos walks the sidelines before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 08, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 08: General Manager John Elway of the Denver Broncos walks the sidelines before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 08, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins looks on from the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedExField on August 29, 2012 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins looks on from the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at FedExField on August 29, 2012 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Mike Shanahan, former Denver Broncos head coach

A while back, there was a report from Woody Paige that Mike Shanahan was almost the Broncos’ head coach in 2018.

Shanahan and Elway had reportedly been having meetings about a reunion and Shanahan would have replaced Vance Joseph after one season. Elway had his heart set on it.

Their ultimate plan was to lure Kirk Cousins over from the Redskins — Shanahan drafted him there — and rebuild the team from the shambles they were in after 2017.

Up to this point, Shanahan hadn’t confirmed that rumor. He now has.

"“Close. I was close. One thing that has to happen is we all have to be on the same page. One thing you have to make sure of when you are a head football coach is that the owner, the GM and the quarterback are all on the same page. If it doesn’t happen, the chances of winning a Super bowl aren’t very good. Anyway, if that situation happened, I was going to take it. If not…but anyway, I had a great conversation with John [Elway], as everybody knows, and it didn’t work out and sometimes it works out for the right reasons.” Mike Shanahan"

That’s really something. Who knows if bringing Shanahan back would have been the right answer for the Broncos, but it’s fun to dream isn’t it?

Shanahan was fired after the 2008 season when the Broncos failed to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season. He wasn’t fired without cause, at least for the standards that have been set in Broncos Country, and it was an emotional exit for Shanahan. Truly the end of an era.

The firing of Mike Shanahan set in motion one of the craziest 10-year periods in team history. It’s great to not only see him back but talking with Elway and giving him input and insight into some of his decisions.

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