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Netflix has finally circled a date for its long-teased John Elway documentary. The streamer released the first full trailer for Elway on Thursday and confirmed the film will hit Netflix on December 22, giving Denver Broncos fans a Christmas-week deep dive into the “Duke of Denver.”
ELWAY premieres December 22.
Told in his own words, the definitive story of Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway goes deep on his NFL dreams, heartbreaks and Super Bowl redemption.
Billed as the “definitive” look at Elway’s life on and off the field, the feature-length documentary is directed by NFL Films veteran Ken Rodgers alongside Chris Weaver and produced in partnership with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
Netflix Drops ‘Elway’ Trailer, Confirms December 22 Premiere
In the new trailer, Elway is introduced as “the most gifted quarterback to ever play in the National Football League,” over highlights from his Stanford days and early Broncos years. He talks about the crushing expectations that came with his talent, saying he “had to sacrifice everything to be the best” as clips flash of brutal hits and Super Bowl heartbreak.
The film will stream globally on Netflix starting December 22, 2025. According to Netflix materials, Elway runs about 98 minutes and traces his journey from college star to Hall of Fame quarterback and front-office executive.
Fans get glimpses of familiar milestones: the chaos of the 1983 draft, the pressure of stepping into Denver as a once-in-a-generation prospect, the three early Super Bowl blowouts and the eventual redemption of back-to-back titles in the late 1990s. The trailer leans into that arc, building to Elway’s iconic No. 7 jersey and a simple line about this being “the moment.”
What ‘Elway’ Reveals About the ‘Duke of Denver’ Off the Field
While the trailer hits the usual big-football beats, it also shows a more vulnerable Elway than Broncos fans are used to seeing. He reflects on the toll his obsession with winning took, admitting that chasing greatness came “at the sacrifice to my family,” and those around him describe mood swings tied to every win and loss.
The footage hints at a family story running parallel to the football one — mentions of his parents’ marriage crumbling, death threats, and a household living under the weight of an entire city’s expectations. That personal approach lines up with early reviews out of the Denver Film Festival, where the documentary premiered in November and was described as an “intensely personal” portrait that lets fans see Elway relaxing with his family away from the stadium lights.
The trailer also nods to the myth-making around his nickname, “the Duke of Denver,” with old clips describing how he helped “a city transform itself.” Former coaches, teammates and media voices — including Mike Shanahan, Shannon Sharpe and Adam Schefter — appear as talking heads to fill in the story of how a California kid became the face of Colorado sports.
How Broncos Fans Can Watch ‘Elway’ on Netflix
For Broncos Country, Elway has been building buzz for months. The film closed the Denver Film Festival in early November, drawing a standing ovation from a mostly orange-clad crowd downtown. Now it’s headed to living rooms just in time for the holidays.
Elway also fits into a broader wave of NFL storytelling on Netflix, joining recent projects like the Dallas Cowboys series America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys on the platform’s growing football slate.
For now, the trailer is the best look yet at how far the documentary is willing to go beyond the highlight reels. Elway closes one clip by repeating a lesson from his dad: “You can’t take the easy way out.” After three Super Bowl losses, a city’s worth of expectations and a lifetime of scrutiny, Netflix is betting that message — and the man behind it — will play just as big on streaming as it once did on Sundays.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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