Best: Denver Broncos – John Elway
As the saying goes: sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. If it weren’t for John Elway’s famous refusal to play for the (then) Baltimore Colts if they drafted him in 1983 (which they did), and if it wasn’t for crazy owner Bob Irsay commandeering a less-than-ideal trade to send him for Denver, Elway would’ve never ended up on the Broncos.
But, he did, and over the course of his 16-year NFL career, he smashed every team passing record you could think of, and led the team to five Super Bowl appearances — famously winning the last two, which took place the last two years of his career.
Worst: Denver Broncos – Steve Tensi
When John Elway was merely a child in Northern California, the Denver Broncos were being quarterbacked by a gentleman named Steve Tensi. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t worry; you’re not really missing much by not thinking about him.
Between 1967 and 1970, Tensi spent four years in Denver, and in all four years, he failed to finish with a winning record. During that span, he had a 10-21-1 record as the starter.