John Elway set to take on new role with franchise as talks of rumored Broncos buyout intensify

With every passing year, John Elway appears to be taking one step further away from his team. The general manager was replaced by George Paton heading into last season. While Elway was technically given a new job at a higher level, it was clear that the chief goal was to get him removed from the role of general manager without staining his reputation.

Now, one season later, the executive will be taking another step away from the team, this time serving as a consultant for George Paton, according to 9NEWS. Consultants generally keep working hours low, and thus one can assume that this will be one of the former general manager's lowest-involvement years in the history of the organization.

Of course, he'll still be around and likely reachable, but it's clear that this move brings Elway one step closer to retirement. The former quarterback of the Broncos turns 62 this year, well within range of the typical age of retirement for people in the United States.

In his farewell press conference as general manager, the quarterback listed a desire to spend more time with family as a reason for his initial change of position. One could infer that this was part of the reason to further reduce his role in the organization.

John Elway: a career for the ages

Denver Broncos v Minnesota Vikings

The former quarterback started his career by denying the Baltimore Colts his employment, despite the team using a draft pick on him. He eventually landed with the Denver Broncos in 1983 and played every game of his career with the team. He played from 1983 until 1999. He was famous for getting to the Super Bowl but never winning the big game.

That changed in 1998, when the quarterback won his first Super Bowl at the age of 37. Several would have called it a career at the time. However, he pushed on, winning the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. He retired that offseason. The next decade was quiet for the former quarterback, but he returned to the team that built him as the general manager in 2011.

One of his first big moves was landing All-Star quarterback Peyton Manning. Building a robust roster enriched with talent, the team went on to play in two Super Bowls, winning one. However, after Manning's retirement following the 2016 Super Bowl, the team hit a wall. Since the quarterback's retirement, the team has had just one more winning season under Elway.

His successor, George Paton, is in the midst of a bid to bring back the team of the early-mid 2010s or 1980s and 1990s. Will he succeed? Either way, this is Paton's team now and he will fly or sink based on how the next couple of years go. Also, with the team being sold this offseason, much is being rebuilt outside of the roster and executive offices in Denver.

Put simply, the team of 2017 will look massively different by the end of 2022. It should also be noted that the quarterback-turned-executive has not pulled his name from the bidding war to own the Denver Broncos. At this point, it appears that Elway could either own the team or retire within the next year.