Is the monkey off the Broncos back in terms of HOF representation?

For years, the lack of Denver Broncos represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been a thorn in the side of many orange and blue faithful.

On Friday, ahead of the Hall’s annual class unveiling, “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mike Evans called it a “huge, huge source of irritation and disgust, despair, anger for Broncos Country.”

“It was a source of almost civic anger. That, wait a minute, why are we being overlooked?” Evans said.

But with two from Denver headed for enshrinement in August — owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey — and another in running back Terrell Davis inducted in 2017, the irritation has been soothed a bit, says “Stokley and Zach” co-host Brandon Stokley.

“It certainly helps, yes. (There’s been) a lot of talk about the lack of Broncos in the Hall of Fame. And then, now you’ve got T.D. going in and then you have Pat Bowlen and Champ going in at the same time. I think that, certainly, helps when it comes to the recognition that fans, Broncos Country feels that they deserve and haven’t gotten,” Stokley said.

Stokley’s co-host, Zach Bye, said Bailey and Bowlen’s election is just “another further step of validation.”

“Not that the Broncos needed it. But I think the fans and Broncos Country, it means something,” Bye said. “It doesn’t mean everything. We know what they did. But it takes it a step further, that the rest of the NFL community will take a second at a certain point in time and recognize what was done.”

Including Bailey, Bowlen, and Davis, seven Broncos reside within the hallowed halls in Canton, Ohio — Floyd Little, Gary Zimmerman, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Davis, Bowlen, and Bailey.

Several other players, including Brian Dawkins, Ty Law, and Tony Dorsett, played in Denver at one point.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.