30 greatest Denver Broncos players of all time
By Randy Gurzi
24. Jake Plummer, QB
The worst thing about Jake Plummer's tenure in Denver was how short it was.
A former standout for Arizona State, Plummer was selected in Round 2 of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. At the time, Arizona shared a stadium with ASU, so Plummer ended up having the same home field in the NCAA that he did for the first six years of his career.
After going 30-52 for the Cards, Plummer entered free agency in 2003 and signed with Denver. At 29 years old, Plummer was taking heat for the struggles in Arizona but proved quickly that he wasn't the problem. He led Denver to a record of 9-2 in his first season and then went 10-6 in 2024 and 13-3 in 2005.
While he did lead the NFL in interceptions with 20 in 2004, Plummer still put up some impressive numbers. He had 11,631 yards passing with 71 touchdowns and 47 picks in four years while leading Denver to a record of 39-15. He nearly got the Broncos to the Super Bowl in 2005 after knocking off the New England Patriots in the second round of the playoffs but fell to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game.
Despite being there for just four years, Plummer is fourth in franchise history in passing yards and fifth in touchdowns. He was replaced by Jay Cutler late in 2006 and is now a mushroom farmer. That can't be said about too many former players.
The Top 5 People In The NFL Who Could Have Benefitted From Microdosing (or macrodosing) Mushrooms With Jake Plummer, According To Jake Plummer (@snakestakes) 😂😂
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) April 20, 2023
📺 https://t.co/gOU4MUKrQh pic.twitter.com/GZcoY0P0pA
23. Lionel Taylor, WR
Originally a linebacker for the Chicago Bears, Lionel Taylor converted to wide receiver for the Broncos, who added him in 1960. Taylor was an instant success with 92 receptions for 1,235 yards and 12 touchdowns that year.
He not only led the league in receptions in 1960 but continued to do so for the next three years — and added a fifth crown to his resumé in 1965. Taylor ended his Broncos tenure with 543 receptions for 6,872 yards and 44 touchdowns.