Stokley: Despite Florio comment, Elway not in danger of losing job
Feb 6, 2019, 7:02 PM | Updated: Feb 7, 2019, 12:06 am
In his final power rankings of the 2018 NFL season this week, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio not only had the Denver Broncos at No. 24 but said that another losing season for the club and “the greatest player in franchise history (turned GM) could be losing his job.”
But even with the heat ratcheted up a bit on general manager John Elway, could the Broncos really move on from the Hall of Famer?
On Wednesday, “Stokley and Zach” co-host Brandon Stokley said it’s unlikely.
“I think the only way John walks out the door is if John wants to walk out the door,” Stokley said.
Elway, who signed a five-year contract extension ahead of the 2017 season, may be forced out if the team sees a shift in ownership, Stokley said, but the Broncos legend has “a lot of equity built up” from his playing days and his early years as a general manager.
“As much equity as a human being can have for an NFL team, John Elway has that,” said Stokley’s co-host, Zach Bye.
His Hall of Fame playing career aside, Elway was at the helm of the ship during arguably one of the most prosperous eras in Broncos history, wherein the team won five consecutive AFC West titles and went to two Super Bowls, winning one.
But during the past three seasons, the Broncos have seen a sharp decline from the top after Super Bowl 50, going 9-7 in 2016, 5-11 in 2017, and 6-10 in 2018.
Along with the first back-to-back losing seasons for the club since 1972, the 2017 and 2018 seasons constituted the second-worst two-year stretch in franchise history.
Also, with the firing of Vance Joseph after this past season and the hiring of Vic Fangio in January, the Broncos have undergone three coaching changes during Elway’s front office reign.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
