Josh Allen’s ‘biggest mistake’ as Broncos GM

Former Denver Broncos Draft czar John Elway lamented his ill-fated decision to select outside linebacker Bradley Chubb over quarterback Josh Allen with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

During a recent appearance on the Sorry for my opinion On a podcast, the Hall of Fame gunslinger admitted that ignoring Allen was his “biggest mistake” during his decade-long reign as Denver’s CEO.

“I was playing golf with him last year and I was wondering, ‘How long is it going to take him to realize I passed on him and picked Bradley Chubb?’ And it took him two and a half holes,” Elway recalled. “And I loved him. But it just didn’t work out. He was my guy. That was probably my biggest mistake during my days as a general manager, not picking Josh.”

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There’s really no argument against it. Chubb, despite having a perennial Pro Bowl-caliber ceiling, never earned a second contract with the Broncos, who in 2022 got rid of the oft-injured defender by trading him to the Miami Dolphins.

Meanwhile, Allen, drafted two spots after Chubb, became one of the league’s elite (and highest-paid) quarterbacks with the Buffalo Bills. No more needs to be said. No more context needed.

This, at a time when Denver repeated a litany of failed experiments with Elway (Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater), only cemented his mistake as one of the worst in franchise history.

It wasn’t immediately apparent. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Allen took a few years to break out, while Chubb posted a career-best 12-sack rookie campaign.

But now, with the power of hindsight, it’s abundantly clear. For fans and players alike.

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