How could it possibly get worse than the Kansas City Chiefs winning their third Super Bowl in the last five years? I'll tell you how. Worse yet, I'll show you how. For whatever reason, legendary Denver Broncos quarterback and former general manager John Elway was tasked with handing the Lombardi Trophy to the Chiefs.
Why did this happen? Why was this a thing?
John Elway on the stage with the Chiefs after winning the Super Bowl congratulating Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) February 12, 2024
Pain. pic.twitter.com/eSEoHpJjSo
Elway carried the trophy -- the 4th Lombardi in Chiefs history, passing the Broncos at 3 -- through the mosh pit of Kansas City Chiefs players and family members as one by one they touched the trophy. He brought it all the way up to the podium and had to hand it off to the Denver Broncos' most hated rivals.
To say this was salt in the wound would be an understatement. Not only do the Denver Broncos have to deal with the fact that they have the second-longest playoff drought of any team in the NFL right now, and the Chiefs are a dynasty on top of it all, but they have to deal with the franchise's greatest player ever handing a Lombardi Trophy to the Chiefs?
Who orchestrated this?
Perhaps Elway was certain that Kyle Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey were going to win the Super Bowl, and he planned on handing the trophy to them. That would have been a tear-jerker for Broncos Country, but in a much different way. The reality of Elway handing the Chiefs a Lombardi Trophy is something that will make you cry sad tears.
John Elway carrying the Lombardi Trophy to the Chiefs is so painful. pic.twitter.com/xDKTkRGGk3
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) February 12, 2024
Frankly, nothing could be worse.
In the wake of the Chiefs winning yet another Super Bowl, it's hard to really get excited about Denver Broncos football at the moment. Patience may be a virtue, but it's not easy to wait this kind of dry spell out. The Broncos beat the Chiefs the last time they played them, but that doesn't mean anything compared to what the Chiefs have just accomplished.
They're the first NFL team in nearly 20 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls. They have the best QB in the league. Andy Reid's not retiring. Travis Kelce's not retiring. This team is going to be just as hard to beat yet again in 2024 and why should we do anything but pencil them in for at least the AFC Championship game?
The Broncos have a lot of work to do, but finding common ground with the Kansas City Chiefs seems like such a daunting task that you almost wonder if the team can even see them in the distance at this point.
The Chiefs have built something truly special, sustainable, and historic. The Broncos can't do anything but sit and watch. This is probably the exact same feeling Chiefs fans had watching John Elway dominate the division for all those years when he was a player, then having him come in and do the same thing as an executive for his first five years on the job.
All Broncos Country can do at this point is just weather the storm.
But why did it have to include Elway handing them the Lombardi?
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