The breakup in Denver at the end of last season was not clean. When Broncos executive vice president John Elway fired then head coach John Fox, the two were clearly not on friendly terms.
Roughly a year later, it doesn’t seem like Elway and Fox will be exchanging pleasantries.
Sunday evening, Elway and the Broncos won the AFC Championship game, getting them back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. The last time came under the leadership of Fox, this time it’s Gary Kubiak leading the team.
After beating the Patriots, Elway was on stage with his team, his coach and his trophy. But even then, He couldn’t help but take a semi-veiled shot at the ex-coach.
From USA Today:
Gary and his whole staff did a tremendous job, really stepped into a hot seat, he said, and they proved everybody right.
Of course, the Broncos won that game in the most John Fox-way possible. Denver took an early lead against the Patriots with safe passing and used a strong defense and a late stand to win the game.
Elway’s frustration with Fox came as the Broncos failed to win a Super Bowl in three consecutive years with Peyton Manning. When Fox and the Broncos parted ways, Elway said that the two “disagreed how to get to the next level.”
Fox’s replacement hasn’t yet reached that level, but clearly has Elway’s trust. Kubiak was Elway’s backup in Denver for nine years and started his coaching career with the Broncos.
Fox and the Bears hope they can follow along that same track in the coming years. Fox took each of this year’s Super Bowl teams to another Super Bowl while he was the head coach.
