{"id":143829,"date":"2025-06-20T02:52:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T02:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/143829\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T02:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T02:52:13","slug":"broncos-have-multiple-players-coach-on-espns-all-quarter-century-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/143829\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos have multiple players, coach on ESPN’s All-Quarter Century Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Broncos have had their fair share of good years and bad ones this century, but one thing\u2019s for certain. They\u2019ve had some great players come through the Mile High City and don the orange and blue over the past 25 years, whether the team was winning or not.<\/p>\n

ESPN released its All-Quarter Century team<\/a> on Wednesday morning, and the Broncos are heavily involved in building the roster. With four players on the squad along with the defensive coordinator, the team would look a lot different without the boys from Denver.<\/p>\n

Peyton Manning \u2013 QB<\/p>\n

This one\u2019s a no-brainer. One of three quarterbacks on the team alongside Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, Manning has been a forehead and shoulders above the rest of the league. With nine All-Pro nominations, five MVP awards and two Super Bowls this decade, Manning has been the pinnacle of individual success from the quarterback position throughout the decade.<\/p>\n

In his four years in Denver, Manning threw for 17,112 yards and 140 touchdowns as he captained one of the best offenses the league has ever seen. While he won the Super Bowl in his swan song year in 2015, his best in the Mile High City was 2013, when he led the league in both passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55), both of which still stand as league-wide records today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

55 touchdowns in a single season \u2014 still an NFL-best. \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n

Every Peyton Manning TD from 2013 \ud83d\udc47 pic.twitter.com\/zD36JsrPyY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Denver Broncos (@Broncos) March 24, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

Demarcus Ware \u2013 EDGE<\/p>\n

Ware was an unstoppable force at the end of the line of scrimmage for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Broncos, as his 138.5 sacks still sit as the third-best mark by anyone this century despite not playing since 2016. The combination of him and Von Miller is what made the 2015 defense one of the best of all time, and he rightfully earned a spot on the this star-studded roster.<\/p>\n

His ability to beat the opposing tackle in so many different ways is what made Ware such a threat off the edge, highlighted by his fake spin move that he was able to use off of his regular, lethal spin move.<\/p>\n

Throwback to when DeMarcus Ware pulled the fake spin on Joe Staley pic.twitter.com\/37tW8IF2d5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ty Wurth (@lostyhighway) July 26, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n

Champ Bailey \u2013 CB<\/p>\n

Bailey\u2019s selection is another one that should be a surprise to nobody. While the three-time All-Pro nominee was ahead of the rest of the team on defense, as his twilight years were when the Broncos started to fire on all cylinders, he was still one of the best corners of the 2000s with Darrelle Revis.<\/p>\n

Bailey came to the Broncos in 2004 in a trade with Washington that sent Clinton Portis and a second-round draft pick out east in exchange for Bailey. At the time, Portis had put up back-to-back 1,500 yard seasons, and many weren\u2019t sure if the Broncos would win the trade. Looking back at it, after Bailey continued to rise and Portis saw limited action in three of his final five seasons, the Broncos definitely won the trade.<\/p>\n

In 10 seasons with the Broncos, Bailey had 34 interceptions in 135 games to go with 599 tackles and eight Pro Bowls. The Broncos also got creative with him on the offensive side of the ball, using him in a special package from time to time in the 2004 season<\/a> to keep defenses on their toes (who needs Travis Hunter?).<\/p>\n

Jake Plummer \u27a1\ufe0f Champ Bailey<\/p>\n

Broncos vs Chiefs
September 12th, 2004@snakestakes<\/a> | @champbailey<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/K8kqce7gbs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Broncos Daily \ud83d\uddde (@TheBroncosDaily) November 8, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Brian Dawkins \u2013 S<\/p>\n

Dawkins, one of the hardest-hitting safeties to ever step foot on the field, made Broncos fans wonder if Steve Atwater had been reincarnated and changed his jersey number to 20 when he first got to Denver in 2009. While he did most of his damage throughout his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, he still put up a whopping 233 tackles in just three years with the Broncos to go with three interceptions and four forced fumbles.<\/p>\n

For his career, he had over 1,100 tackles and 36 forced fumbles as he would constantly make offenses fear him as he filled the run and punished receivers for running routes over the middle. He made nine Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams, with two of the Pro Bowls coming with the Broncos.<\/p>\n

Wade Phillips \u2013 Defensive Coordinator<\/p>\n

Phillips spent just two seasons, 2015 and 2016, as the Broncos\u2019 defensive coordinator this century after making his first stop in Denver back in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the DC and head coach. This list only takes his efforts in the 21st century into account, as he had a top 10 defense in 10 of the 20 seasons he coached in the 2000s. His best efforts will always be the 2015 season with the Broncos, as his unit is the reason why that team won the Super Bowl, leading the league in passing defense and overall defense.<\/p>\n

While Pat Surtain II is too young to be considered a \u2018snub\u2019 from this list, Von Miller is not, and it\u2019s puzzling why he didn\u2019t make the cut as one of four main edge rushers on the team or even the two \u2018practice squad\u2019 players that ESPN included. Is he really not as good as one of Jared Allen, Myles Garrett, Julius Peppers, T.J. Watt or Michael Strahan?<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, it\u2019s still great for the Broncos to have so many faces make this All-Quarter Century team, a representation of how many great players have put on the orange and blue in the last 25 years.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Follow @trent_finnegan2<\/a><\/p>\n

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