Denver Broncos legend John Elway has shared a revealing insight into a pivotal decision made during the 2018 NFL Draft. According to Elway, he had recommended that the franchise select Josh Allen, who would later become one of the most prominent quarterbacks in the league. However, the coaching staff did not support his suggestion.

Allen has since established himself as a top-tier quarterback, often mentioned alongside Patrick Mahomes in discussions about the best players in the NFL. He is currently the reigning NFL MVP and holds several records, although he has yet to win a Super Bowl with the Buffalo Bills. Despite this, his performance has been consistently impressive, making him a key figure in the league.

While the Broncos have found stability with quarterback Bo Nix, it took them until 2024 to find a reliable signal caller after Peyton Manning’s retirement following the 2015 season. Elway, who served as the team’s general manager from 2011 to 2020, was ultimately overruled when he pushed for Allen’s selection.

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Allen’s journey began at Wyoming, where he spent his first season playing for Reedley College before transferring. His performance at Wyoming earned him widespread attention ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. Wyoming retired his No. 17 jersey and inducted him into the university’s Hall of Fame.

The Bills selected Allen with the seventh overall pick in 2018, but the Broncos opted to draft defensive end Bradley Chubb with their fifth selection. Chubb, a pass rusher from NC State, was eventually traded to the Miami Dolphins before the end of his rookie contract.

Elway, who won two Super Bowls as a quarterback for the Broncos, transitioned into the general manager role before becoming the president of football operations. However, during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, he admitted that his recommendation to draft Allen was not accepted.

“I really liked him. But the problem is, and the way that I worked is, I wanted buy-in from the coaching staff,” Elway said. “And I couldn’t get the buy-in from the coaching staff, I couldn’t get everybody on the same page with it. When he was coming up, he wasn’t perfect. He was very, very raw. His accuracy was the biggest question. He was athletic as hell, big, strong, competitive, and all those types of things, but that was the one question. I loved him, and that’s why I say I regret it, because I didn’t overrule everybody and say, ‘I’m taking him, and now it’s up to you to make him good.'”

Denver enjoyed success during its final season with Manning, winning the Super Bowl, but faced a playoff drought from 2016 to 2023. With Allen, the Bills have dominated the AFC East and reached the AFC Championship game twice. Allen’s only losing season came in his rookie year in 2018, when he was 5-6 as a starter. Since then, he has posted an 82-33 record in the regular season and a 7-6 record in the playoffs.

The dark period for the Broncos appears to be over, and the organization is well-positioned to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season. Denver faces the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18, but the team has already secured home advantage after winning the division.

Securing a first-round bye would be a major achievement for the Broncos, who have thrived since selecting Nix out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nix has a 23-10 record in his young NFL career, though he suffered a loss in his playoff debut last season.