Jan. 31, 2026, 5:01 a.m. MT
On this date (Jan. 31) in 1999, the Denver Broncos won their second Super Bowl championship, capping off a Pro Football Hall of Fame career for quarterback John Elway.
The Broncos, fresh off their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, were nearly not the same team in 1998.
Elway strongly considered retirement prior to the 1998 season, in part because he finally had his championship, a goal that he had always wanted. Long story short, Elway did eventually return for one final season in orange and blue.
And what a season it was. The Broncos set a franchise record for regular season wins (14), and several players set individual marks in NFL history.
Some of the individual history made in 1998 include running back Terrell Davis rushing for over 2,000 yards in a season, kicker Jason Elam tying the then-NFL record for the longest field goal (63 yards, which has since been shattered), and Elway passing the 50,000 career passing yards mark.
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In Super Bowl XXXIII, the Denver Broncos had somewhat of a revenge angle for the game. On the other sideline, head coach Dan Reeves was coaching the Atlanta Falcons. Reeves, then-Denver head coach Mike Shanahan and Elway had a war of words during their time with the Broncos, and personal animosity toward one another.
Denver went into the game with fire and smashed Reeves and the Falcons, 31-19. In what would be Elway’s swan song, he became the first quarterback in NFL history retire right after a Super Bowl win. Elway was voted the game’s MVP, finishing 18-of-29 passing for 336 yards with one passing touchdown and one interception. He also added one rushing score.
There have only been two teams to win back-to-back titles since the Broncos did it in 1997-98: The 2003-04 New England Patriots and the 2022-23 Kansas City Chiefs.
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