Former Denver Broncos general manager John Elway had a good run in the team’s front office.
Elway was the general manager from 2011 to 2020 and things started off strong. Tim Tebow surprisingly led the Broncos to a playoff win after a magical season, then Peyton Manning came to town for four incredible years. That was capped by an elite defense that Elway put together and helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50.
But after that, things went south for Elway and the team. He was never able to find a replacement for Manning at quarterback, most famously Paxton Lynch, who was taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Two years later, Elway had a chance to right that wrong. Wyoming’s Josh Allen was on the roster at No. 5, but Elway opted for pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Allen has the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl conversation every year, while the Broncos have missed the playoffs in eight straight seasons.
Many think Elway’s biggest mistake as Denver’s general manager was not drafting Allen, and he agrees.
In a new interview published Monday, Elway told the “Pardon My Take” guys that that is indeed the case.
John Elway believes his biggest mistake as Broncos GM was not drafting Josh Allen @SorryForMyTaking #CountryOfTheBroncos photo.twitter.com/7eCwalnU93
— Denver Bar Stool (@BarstoolDenver) July 29, 2024
“I know he’s (my type),” Elway said of the 6-foot-5 Allen. “I played (golf) with him last year and I wonder how long it’s going to take him to realize I passed on him and picked Bradley Chubb instead. And it took him two and a half holes,” Elway said.
Chubb had some moments in Denver, especially as a rookie when he reached double digits in sacks. But injuries plagued his career and he was eventually traded to Miami in 2022 for a first-round pick. That pick was traded for current head coach Sean Payton in a different deal with the Saints.
But for Elway, the entire course of history could have been different if he had chosen Allen.
“And I loved him, right? He was my guy… That was probably my biggest mistake during my days as a general manager: not drafting Josh,” Elway said.
Allen would have solved the Broncos’ quarterback problems a long time ago, but Elway went in a different direction in the 2018 NFL Draft. And it’s clearly a decision he’s still thinking about.
To watch the full interview with Elway on “Pardon My Take,” click here.
