John Elway Ready to Return to NFL
Hall of Fame quarterback (QB) John Elway is ready to return to the Denver Broncos and the NFL. No, he won’t be playing, but he will attend some of the team’s practices this training camp and will help market the team’s game in London this coming season.
Elway retired in 1999 after leading the Broncos to two straight Super Bowls, the franchise’s only championships.
Elway also told Denver media that he'd also eventually like to own a piece of the Broncos.
After participating in a Colorado charity golf tournament, Elway said he had no news to report from owner Pat Bowlen regarding his desire to be a co-owner, but was eager to help his old team in many ways.
Elway reconnected with his old team when he and Broncos second-year coach Josh McDaniels discussed ways he could become part of the franchise again after having very little contact with the team during the last few years of Mike Shanahan’s tenure with the club.
The former QB said he is taking things slowly as he prepares to help the team once again.
"I think it's going to be just a step-by-step type thing as needed," Elway said. "Kind of be around them a little bit more. Do some stuff on the business side for them with sponsors and stuff, to get a little bit closer to them and slowly work into it and see what they need. If they need advice, then I'm there to give it to them -- if they want my advice."
The 50 year-old Elway said he wanted a clean break from football when he retired. During some of his time away from the game he learned the business side of things from one of the owners of the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, before that league folded.
"When I first retired I wanted to get away. I had been in football my whole life. My dad was a coach so I wanted to get away from football," Elway said. "And then when I wanted to get back in, that's why I did the Arena League, to learn the business side of it, be on that side and get some experience."
Elway is now eager for his return to the game and said this is the right time with McDaniels entering his second season as Denver’s head coach.
"I think that now is the time. Last year I think would have been tough with the transition to what they were going through and so maybe now is the time to start," Elway said. "Timing may be a lot better now in their minds than it was a while back."
Elway also said he is ready to sit back and enjoy his life a little bit.
"I'm finally at the point of my life to where I guess I'm starting to just enjoy life a little bit instead of charging ahead. Everything I've ever done, I've always charged and now I'm in a pretty good spot," Elway said. "I'm back in the car business. I've got three dealerships in California and they're doing fine now. I'm taking the foot off the pedal a little bit and kind of smelling the roses a little bit."
The Hall of Famer will definitely be able to offer some valuable insight on the team’s foggy quarterback situation. He can be a help to Kyle Orton, and especially Tim Tebow, who’s trying to make the adjustment from all-around college quarterback to a prototypical NFL pocket passer. If anybody can help the young man succeed, it would be Elway.
Elway added that an eight-to-ten win season would be a successful one in Denver as the team is solid on defence, but still lost their Pro-Bowl wide-out in Brandon Marshall.
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