Top 10 wide receivers in Denver Broncos history
5. Emmanuel Sanders
It's still shocking, even today, that the Denver Broncos were able to get Emmanuel Sanders when and how they did. As it turns out, the Broncos signing Emmanuel Sanders in 2014 is one of the team's most recent wins against Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
Sanders was at the Chiefs' facility, as he recalls it, taking a visit with the team when he ultimately made the decision to sign with the Denver Broncos.
Emmanuel Sanders, on how he ended up a Bronco after being in Kansas City on a 2014 free-agent visit: “So, Andy Reid leaves; he thinks I'm signing with the Chiefs. All of a sudden, I get the call -- in the facility that I can go to Denver. I tell them I'm going to Denver. …” pic.twitter.com/VlviLo7wwM
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 7, 2022
Sanders joined the Denver Broncos at a critical time for the franchise. Eric Decker played himself out of the team's price range in 2014 free agency, and Sanders was (thankfully) limited in Pittsburgh by guys like Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell eating up all of the targets. His "lack" of production landed him a relatively modest deal from the Broncos in free agency but he immediately became a star in the Broncos' offense.
From 2014-16, Sanders had his first (and only) three seasons with 1,000 receiving yards in his NFL career. He played six seasons in Denver and had over 5,300 yards receiving, helping the team win Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season.
Even as the Broncos' QB play struggled, Sanders was still a tremendous weapon in the offense, catching over 62 percent of his passes over his career. He ranks 7th in franchise history in receptions and 10th in franchise history in receiving yards. Hopefully, we will one day see Sanders immortalized in the Broncos' Ring of Fame.