NFL franchise story

Denver Broncos

Denver grew from an overlooked AFL club into a region-wide institution through the Orange Crush, John Elway's five Super Bowls and Peyton Manning's record-setting final act.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Denver Broncos.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Denver Broncos official NFL team page ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1960—1972

Floyd Little

Lionel Taylor

Goose Gonsoulin

A loyal city waits for its first winning season

The difficult AFL beginning

Denver survived years of losing because Little and an intensely loyal fan base made the franchise worth building.

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Chapter 01

1960—1972

Franchise era

1973—1982

Randy Gradishar

Tom Jackson

Craig Morton

Defense sends Denver to its first Super Bowl

The Orange Crush

A swarming defense and a roaring home crowd transformed the Broncos, culminating in the franchise's first Super Bowl trip after the 1977 season.

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Chapter 02

1973—1982

Franchise era

1983—1992

John Elway

Karl Mecklenburg

Steve Atwater

Three AFC championships establish the standard

Elway carries Denver west

Elway's arm, movement and late-game nerve repeatedly pulled Denver through the AFC even when the Super Bowl exposed the roster's limits.

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Chapter 03

1983—1992

Franchise era

1993—1998

John Elway

Terrell Davis

Shannon Sharpe

The zone run completes Elway's career

At last, back-to-back titles

Mike Shanahan's run game and Davis's postseason dominance gave Elway the balance needed to win consecutive Super Bowls.

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Chapter 04

1993—1998

Franchise era

1999—2011

Champ Bailey

Rod Smith

Jake Plummer

Good defenses and changing quarterbacks

Searching after Elway

Denver remained competitive and reached the 2005 AFC title game, then a run of instability ended with Tim Tebow's brief, unforgettable playoff moment.

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Chapter 05

1999—2011

Franchise era

2012—2015

Peyton Manning

Von Miller

Demaryius Thomas

A record offense gives way to a title defense

Peyton's final act

Manning directed the highest-scoring offense in league history before Miller and an elite defense carried Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50.

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Chapter 06

2012—2015

Franchise era

2016—present

Justin Simmons

Patrick Surtain II

Courtland Sutton

A champion defense waits for offensive continuity

The quarterback carousel

The defense remained capable after Manning retired, but repeated quarterback and coaching changes turned the search for a successor into the era's central story.

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Chapter 07

2016—present

Present day

The essential watchlist