Somewhere in the world on a golf course, Denver Broncos legend and Hall of Famer John Elway is probably smiling.
Elway established a legacy that will never be outdone as far as the Denver Broncos are concerned. He is the man who brought Super Bowls to the Broncos. He's on the Mount Rushmore of all-time NFL quarterbacks. Elway is a legend in every sense of the word if you just consider his playing days alone, but he's also created an impressive legacy as an NFL executive.
Elway caught a lot of flak for not being able to find a quarterback in the post-Peyton Manning era, and he's even gone on record recently as saying that passing on Josh Allen in 2018 was his biggest mistake as a general manager in the NFL. But he also doesn't get nearly enough credit for assembling the best offense in NFL history (2013) and the best defense in NFL history (2015).
Debate a wall.
So, considering the fact that Elway hasn't worked with the Broncos in an official or unofficial capacity for a handful of years now, how is it that his legend is continuing to grow in the 2025 offseason?
John Elway GM tree growing exponentially in 2025 offseason
A number of former Elway "henchmen" in the Denver Broncos' front office during the glorious Peyton Manning era have been getting big-time promotions in recent years, including a couple of guys getting general manager jobs in 2025.
We saw Adam Peters get the GM job last offseason with the Washington Commanders, and his team went from last place in the NFC East to playing in the NFC Championship Game.
John Spytek, who has been a tip lieutenant for GM Jason Licht with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has earned himself the Las Vegas Raiders general manager position this year.
Most recently, former Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey was hired as general manager of the New York Jets.
Elway on three of his former assistants - Adam Peters, John Spytek, Darren Mougey - becoming GMs in past year: “I’m thrilled for those guys because it was the goal for all of them. You could tell with the way they worked and what they wanted to do, you want guys to where (more) https://t.co/34ZQedkuBN
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) January 25, 2025
And Elway obviously has other old friends still in high places in the NFL. It's also worth noting that Elway is the one who selected George Paton as his replacement with the Denver Broncos, and Paton has been outstanding and instrumental in helping the Broncos land Sean Payton as their new head coach.
Elway didn't get everything right as GM of the Broncos, but he did get a lot right and deserves so much credit. Not only did he do a great job of assembling a team that eventually won a Super Bowl, but he also left a legacy with other executives who are now building their own teams in three different NFL cities in 2025.