John Beake, the former Denver Broncos general manager who helped land John Elway and later helped steer the franchise to five Super Bowls and two world championships, has died at 87.
The Broncos announced his death on Saturday, though no cause was given. According to Devon Henderson and Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, along with multiple other outlets, Beake’s influence on the organization stretched across decades and through the team’s most successful eras.
Beake’s run with Denver began in 1979, when he joined the club as director of pro personnel. By 1983, he had moved up to director of player personnel and was part of the blockbuster trade that sent 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 started slowly, but Beake remained convinced the quarterback could transform the franchise. He said everyone tied to Elway’s climb would be “wearing rings like rock stars,” according to The Athletic report.
His longest stretch with the Broncos came from 1985 to 1998, a 14-year span that ended with back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998 behind Elway and running back Terrell Davis. Before those championships, Denver had already reached three Super Bowls in the 1980s under Beake’s watch. Over his tenure, the Broncos won seven division titles and made 12 playoff appearances.
Beake also had a long football career outside Denver. He served as an offensive backfield coach with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1968 to 1974, then held the same role with the New Orleans Saints from 1976 to 1977.
In 1975, he was Colorado State’s offensive coordinator. Later, from 2000 to 2003, he worked as managing director of football operations for NFL Europe.
Even after his front-office run ended, Beake remained connected to the Broncos as a member of the Ring of Fame committee, which elects players for the honor. His fingerprints were all over the organization’s rise, helping turn a struggling franchise into one of the NFL’s most successful teams.
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