The Denver Broncos lost a member of their extended family this week, as former Broncos GM Neal Dahlen passed at the age of 85.
Dahlen isn’t a familiar name to most Denver fans, but his accomplishments during his long NFL career were estimable. He has seven Super Bowl rings, which is tied with Tom Brady for the second-most in Super Bowl history , behind only Bill Belichick.
Dahlen started accumulating his unique ring connection with the San Francisco 49ers, from 1979-96, and he served as the Broncos director of player personnel during their first two Super Bowl title. He was with the Broncos from 1996-2003, according to a story about his passing written by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. He was the GM from 1999-2001, and he finished his career as the Broncos’ director of football administration.
His teams went 7-0 in Super Bowls, but Dahlen was modest about the personal aspects of his accomplishments.
“I attribute my good fortune to three key elements: Joe Montana, Steve Young and John Elway,” Dahlen told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times in 2018.
The California native also played quarterback in college, and he earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from San Jose State.
Dahlen’s years in Denver were about trying to get a ring for Elway. The Broncos suffered plenty of heartbreak trying to get him there, and it was only when running back Terrell Davis arrived in Denver that the team became a Super Bowl winner.
His 49ers years were all about Joe Montana and receiver Jerry Rice, of course. The 1980s were all about the ongoing battle between the 49ers, Washington, the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, as the four powerhouse teams took turns trading dominant seasons from year to year. There was far less parity in the NFL back then due to the lack of a salary cap, so star players usually stayed with the teams that drafted them for most of their careers.
Montana’s perfect record of 4-0 in Super Bowls has been used to justify his argument as the GOAT in championship games, but that argument has diminished with time as Brady added to his ring collection. Elway's ring completed his legacy, although he wasn't in his prime when he won it.
The two Denver teams Dahlen worked to put together posted back-to-back Super Bowl wins, beating the Green Bay Packers, 31-24, in 1998, then the Atlanta Falcons, 34-19, in 1999.