Former Broncos GM Who Traded For Elway Passes At 87

Former Denver Broncos general manager John Beake, who helped guide the franchise to five Super Bowls and two world championships, has died, according to a report from Devon Henderson and Nick Kosmider of The Athletic along with multiple other outlets. The Broncos announced his death on Saturday but did not include a cause of death.

Beake worked for the Broncos from 1979 to 2000 in a number of roles, with his longest stint lasting 14 years from 1985 to 1998. That period culminated with Denver winning back to back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998, with those teams lead by Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis. 

Before those titles, Beake also helped lead the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances in the 1980s. Denver a total of seven division titles during Beake’s tenure, and they made 12 playoff appearances. 

Beake began his tenure with the Broncos as the director of pro personnel in 1979, per the writers. He became the director of player personnel by 1983, when he helped orchestrate the blockbuster trade that brought Elway, the No. 1 pick out of Stanford who refused to play for the then Baltimore Colts, to Denver.

Elway’s Hall of Fame career got off to a rocky start, but Beake insisted the quarterback had a chance to lift the franchise, and he said everyone associated with Elway’s rise would be “wearing rings like rock stars,” according to The Athletic report. 

Beake had several assistant coaching stints with various teams, including serving as an offensive backfield coach with the Kansas City Chiefs (1968-1974) and the New Orleans Saints (1976-1977). He was also Colorado State’s offensive coordinator in 1975.

Beake had an NFL life beyond his time with the Broncos as well. He becam the managing director of football operations for NFL Europe from 2000 to  2003.

But Beake’s most memorable impact was on Denver, as he continued to serve as a member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame committee, which elects players for the honor. It was Beake who helped turn around what had been a mostly moribund franchise and convert it into one of the most successful in the NFL, and his accomplishments remain an impressive part of the Broncos’ brand. 

Honors will surely follow after the weekend, and Beake will deserve all of them. He stood out in one of the toughest, most competitive positions in sport, and in many ways Beake is the architect of a winning program that briefly became a dynasty.