Denver Broncos 3 worst quarterbacks in the post-John Elway era

2. Joe Flacco, 2019

The Denver Broncos tried to pitch the acquisition of Joe Flacco in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 as though it was something to be celebrated. John Elway infamously declared at Flacco's introductory press conference that he felt Flacco was still in his prime, but even "prime" Joe Flacco wasn't that good.

The reality of Joe Flacco is this -- the man caught lightning in a bottle in 2012. The Ravens were one of the luckiest teams in NFL history that year, somehow getting through the absolute gauntlet that was the AFC despite playing on the road for every playoff game, and finding a way to win the Super Bowl. Flacco, of course, was named MVP of that game as the winning quarterback typically is.

From that point forward, he became one of the most overpaid and overrated QBs in league history. He signed a deal which, at the time, was the largest in NFL history. Although it's typically a popularity contest, it's notable that Flacco -- a former Super Bowl MVP and a player who once signed the richest contract in league history -- has never made a Pro Bowl.

He came to the Denver Broncos in 2019 in exchange for a 4th-round pick and he made it clear that he wasn't there to mentor any young players. Not that he had to, but the Broncos drafted Drew Lock that year and Flacco decided to pee on his fire hydrant instead of embrace a leadership role for the young QB.

As the 2019 season got underway, it became clear that Joe Flacco was simply not "it".

He played eight games for the Denver Broncos and had an astonishingly low TD percentage of 2.3. He finished the eight-game stint with just six touchdown passes compared to five interceptions, taking 26 sacks and fumbling eight times in the process.

It is truly one of the absolute worst stretches of QB play I can recall from a Denver Broncos QB, and one of the most embarrassing displays of offense I can remember, in general.