The Broncos and Exec VP/Football Operations & GM John Elway yesterday agreed to a five-year contract extension, "keeping him in control of the team’s football decisions" through at least '21, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the DENVER POST. Re-signing Elway before the start of training camp was "important for the Broncos, who knew full well his value to not just the team but the state of Colorado." Terms of Elway’s contract were not known, but he is "fully expected to top" all GMs around the league. Exec pay "isn’t made public," but the Ravens' Ozzie Newsome was "said to be the highest-paid GM" with an annual salary of $3.75M per year. Seahawks Exec VP & GM John Schneider "reupped last year and was given a salary reported to 'approach' top pay." Jhabvala reports the team "initiated discussions as early as the middle of last season with the hope of securing Elway on a long-term deal then." Talks stalled, "not because of discord, but because Elway felt little urgency to hammer out his deal amid a Broncos coaching overhaul, a critical free agency period and the draft -- especially when his contract was months away from expiring." Elway joined the Broncos’ front office in '11 as VP/Football Operations, and the team has been to two Super Bowls since, winning one in '16. Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen's wishes have "always been" to keep Elway a part of the team (DENVER POST, 7/25).
NEVER A DOUBT: ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold noted the Broncos' negotiations with Elway had "been the topic of the offseason outside the team." Questions "swirled about why a deal hadn't yet been done or why it might not get done." However, there was "never really much doubt" inside the team's office, as Elway had "routinely said he was 'optimistic' a deal would get done, likely before" the season. Elway and Broncos President & CEO Joe Ellis have "found a way to make things work since Bowlen stepped away from day-to-day operations of the team due to the onset of Alzheimer's" in '14 (ESPN.com, 7/24). In Colorado Springs, Paul Klee in a front-page piece writes now that Bowlen is "not directly involved" with the team, and there is "no clear successor as owner, there was fret and worry and consternation and all the jittery emotions inherent with not knowing if a mostly lovely era is at its end." Now the "stabilizing rock" for the franchise "must be Elway" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 7/25). ESPN's Jemele Hill said, "He's certainly earned it given everything that he's brought to Denver, bringing a championship there and obviously the way he has run the organization" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/24). YAHOO SPORTS' Frank Schwab wrote, "Nobody is more strongly identified with an NFL team than Elway is with the Broncos" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/24). CBS Sports Network's Adam Schein: "He has unique stock with the city" ("Time To Schein," CBSSN, 7/24).
