Retired quarterback John Elway‘s name is synonymous with the Denver Broncos. The team drafted Elway with the first overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft and the quarterback revolutionized the struggling franchise. He spent his entire 16-season career with the team, leading them to two Super Bowl wins.
John Elway then returned to the Broncos in 2011 and became the team’s general manager and executive vice-president of football operations and turned the team’s tide for the second time. He landed quarterback Peyton Manning and built a roster that went on to win one out of two Super Bowl trips. He was named the team’s president of football operations in 2021 and managed another coup, landing former Seattle Seahawks superstar Russell Wilson.
John Elway was rumored to be among those who wanted to buy the franchise from the Bowlen family. The team was eventually purchased for $4.5 billion by the Walton/Penner group, headed by Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune.
This marked the second time that Elway missed out on being one of the owners of the Broncos. However, if he had taken the opportunity when it first arose in the 90s, he could have been $900 million…
