"I don’t have that desire to climb another mountain": Broncos legend Hall of Famer John Elway bids farewell to football after 62 years

John Elway recently announced his retirement, bringing an end to an era for the Broncos and the NFL as a whole. He is the first ever in the NFL community to have success both as a player and a GM throughout his career.

Elway ranks among the top five all-time in numerous categories, including pass attempts, completions, and passing yards, also leaving a legacy of greatness to the Broncos family, having won three Super Bowls as a player and as a general manager.

The remarkable career of John Elway has ended for good

Last month, Elway’s football career as well as his contract with the Denver Broncos came to an end. After retiring, John left the team a heartfelt message in The Denver Gazette’s Woody Paige.

Denver Broncos legend John Elway confirmed to 9News in Denver that he is no longer with the franchise after the expiration of his contract on March 15.

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— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 5, 2023

“I’ve been with the Broncos for 28 years over the past 40 years since I came to Denver, and I can’t think of a better ownership that (the late) Pat (Bowlen) could have as his successor. I’ll always be a Bronco and a fan, and I told (CEO) Greg Penner I’m here if they call on me for anything.”

John played for the Broncos for 16 seasons and was chosen to play in 9 Pro Bowls, also won 2 championships and the MVP of the Super Bowl in addition to one MVP and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Elway is the only player in National Football League history to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 200 yards in the same season seven times. He also had a passer rating of 59.3 with 1,128 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 5 games in Super Bowls over the course of his career.

As a GM, John was successful in a similar way. JE led the Denver Broncos to five AFC West titles, two AFC championships, and the franchise’s third Super Bowl title while serving as general manager and executive vice president of football operations for the team after his retirement from playing in 2011. The fact that he demonstrated to be such a gifted general manager is nothing less than extraordinary given his on-field accomplishments.

The Hall of Famer declared that, after reflecting on his accomplishments throughout his career, he has no desire to participate in play because he has already surpassed all of his potential goals as a player and GM.

“I don’t have that desire to climb another mountain again. I’ve been to the summit a bunch of times in 62 years,” John said.

The 62-year-old has spent 28 years with the Broncos and has already given his all to the team. He is now ready to move on to other endeavors, saying that he has “quality time remaining.”

John Elway's slate wiped clean after winning 'The One' Super Bowl in 1998 – The Denver Post

“My body took care of me for so long I now want to take care of my body in the QTR.’’ What? “Quality Time Remaining’’.

When Duke turned 50, he revealed his one dream of becoming “the villain in a cowboy movie,” and in an interview with Woody Paige, the Broncos legend confirmed that he still harbors that dream.

“I still would like to be in a cowboy movie, but I’m a bit old. They aren’t making many Westerns anymore. Maybe I’ll call Kevin Costner and get a part in Yellowstone TV series,” the former Broncos stated.

The Broncos fans will undoubtedly miss him on the field, but one thought that might calm them down is the possibility of watching the star on the big screen in a cowboy film one day.

We at SportsZion wish John Elway a happy retirement!