John Elway says he’ll hire a GM who will report to him

DENVER (AP) - John Elway announced a major change in the Denver Broncos’ football operations Monday, saying he’ll hire a general manager who will report to him but have final say on the draft, free agency and the roster.

Elway, who has been GM since 2011, will remain as president of football operations in 2021, the final year of his contract.

Elway engineered a dramatic turnaround of the franchise when he returned to his beloved Broncos, building a team that reached the playoffs in each of his first five seasons.

They won two AFC championships and one Super Bowl to go with the two Super Bowls he won as a Hall of Fame quarterback in Denver.

His biggest move was luring Peyton Manning to Denver after the Colts released the star quarterback following a series of neck fusion surgeries, and Manning had a storied second chapter of his career in navy blue and orange.

Since Manning retired a month after winning Super Bowl 50, however, the Broncos have fallen on hard times, missing the playoffs in each of the past five seasons and going 32-48, including 5-11 this season.

Head coach Vic Fangio is 12-20, just one game better than the 11-21 mark that got his predecessor, Vance Joseph, fired.

Elway said Fangio will have a say in who’s hired as GM, as will team president Joe Ellis, and his new GM will be “empowered to make all football decisions, working in partnership with Vic.”

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