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Odds Say John Elway Will Not Be Broncos GM in 2020

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NFL Football

Updated May 14, 2020 · 3:51 PM PDT

Oddsmakers think that John Elways days as the Broncos top decision-maker is coming to a close. Photo by Arnie Papp (Wiki Commons) [CC License].
  • John Elway’s days as Broncos’ top decision maker could be coming to an end
  • Denver is still without a win in the 2019 season
  • We review Elway’s body of work and suggest the side of this betting line

It’s a moment all Broncos fans remember fondly, as the late, great owner Pat Bowlen passed the Lombardi trophy to his star quarterback for the first time in franchise history.

This one’s for John.

Unfortunately, that line can now also be used to describe the exit door for the most iconic figure the Denver Broncos have ever known.

According to sportsbooks, John Elway’s days are numbered as GM and President of Football Operations, accelerated by another loss to start the year, dropping the team to 0-4 and out of the mix just one month into the NFL season.

Odds John Elway Remains Broncos’ GM

Will John Elway be Broncos’ GM in Week 1 of 2020 Season? Odds
Yes +150
No -200

*Odds from 02/10/19

Can the two-time Super Bowl champion, who delivered the franchise’s third title from the front office in 2015, turn this around? It’s dicey at best.

Elway has Delivered a Chip

His legacy in team building is tied to two moves: drafting Von Miller, and signing free agent Peyton Manning. With Manning at the helm from 2012-2015, the Broncos were consistently Super Bowl contenders, making it to the big game in 2013, though they were crushed by the Seattle Seahawks.

That prompted four other upcoming moves that can be deemed successes: signing DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and TJ Ward to bolster the defense, then moving on from John Fox as head coach and bringing in Gary Kubiak.

The run was complete — and over — in 2015, when Denver captured Super Bowl 50 behind a stellar defense and a greatly deteriorated Manning, who retired that season.

Elway Struggled Post-Manning

Since then, the quarterback position has been a wasteland and Elway’s inability to find a viable QB is the reason Denver has struggled and put Elway on the clock.

Brock Osweiler was the heir apparent, but he bolted to Houston the same offseason  (a move that actually worked out, as Brock was a disaster). The team used lowly regarded Trevor Siemian as a stop gap, as the team drafted Paxton Lynch in the 2016 draft with the plans to take over the reins.

That plan was a dud, as Simien beat him out in training camp, and the team brought back Osweiler, forming the least enticing QB trio across the NFL. Elway went the route of free agency to try and fill the void, signing Case Keenum in 2018, but he struggled and wasn’t  brought back.

This offseason, Elway thought veteran Joe Flacco would add stability, but he’s been absolutely average at best. Drew Lock isn’t Daniel Jones or Kyler Murray-level ready yet, but Elway might not get a chance to see what he has in the rookie.

He’s also not found the right head coach since Kubiak: Vance Joseph was a dud and lasted two seasons, going 11-21. New coach Vic Fangio was a highly regarded as one of the best defensive minds in football, but they’re 0-4 and the defense is one of the problems.

What’s the Best Bet to Make?

If you’re making a case for Elway, you can say that the Broncos are a couple of kicks and a couple of bogus roughing the passer penalties away from potentially being 3-1 or 2-2. Instead, they’re in the running for one of the top draft picks in the upcoming draft.

Should the greatest figure in Broncos’ history get extra leeway to lead his team out of the darkness, much like his penchant for game-winning drives when he starred on the field?

If Bowlen was still alive, I’d say yes. For everything that Elway has given to the Broncos, he hasn’t been able to deliver the most important thing in the last three years: wins and playoff appearances.

Being who he is has already earned him more time than he probably deserved. That changes soon.

The pick: No (-200)

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