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ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that John Elway will take on a higher role within the Franchise and that the Broncos will hire a new General Manager.
Per source: After 10 years as Broncos GM, John Elway is taking an elevated role with the team and will hire a GM, giving him final say on personnel. Elway will stay on as Pres of FB Ops while GM works closely w/ HC Vic Fangio. Elway helped Denver to nearly 100 wins and SB win.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2021
John Elway released this statement announcing a reorganization within the front office starting immediately.
“Working in this role for the last 10 years and going back to my playing days, I’ve always tried to do everything I can to help the Broncos win and get better. As part of a transition I’ve thought about for a long time, I have made the decision to step up into an elevated role and hire a general manager to lead our personnel and football staff.
“While I’ll continue to be President of Football Operations in 2021, the GM will have final say on the draft, free agency and our roster. This person will be empowered to make all football decisions, working in partnership with Vic [Fangio].
“I will be there to support our GM and Vic, providing my perspective, helping with the big decisions and being a sounding board whenever needed. With all that goes into the day-to-day responsibilities of a GM and how the job has grown, this structure will set us up for success and allow me to focus on the big picture.
“This is a great place with all the resources to win. We have a lot of good people on the football side, and I’ll be there for them in any way possible.
“The relationship between the GM and Head Coach is very important—Vic is going to be involved in this hiring process. We’ll cast a wide net, and I will start the search immediately with input from Vic and Joe [Ellis].
“I’m excited to begin this chapter and find the next general manager of the Denver Broncos.”
After the news broke, Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis released a statement on John Elway and the changes made to the front office today.
“John Elway is the most important and impactful person in the history of the Denver Broncos,” Ellis said. “I have nothing but gratitude for how he accepted this challenge 10 years ago and helped us accomplish great things as an organization. In recent weeks, he and I have had a number of very positive—and honest—conversations about improving the team as well as his own future. John arrived at this decision, and I am fully supportive of him and this new structure. With all of his experience and competitive fire, I know John will be a tremendous resource for the Broncos in this role.”
Elway’s long time VP of Player Personnel, Matt Russell, has confirmed that he will be retiring from his role with the team. He will stick around to help with the transition and then will be moving on. There could be more changes coming, so stay tuned.