I’m amazed how many times he got so close before winning it all. From Stanford to the Super Bowl, here’s one of the most iconic quarterbacks in NFL history.
Trailer for “Elway”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- In 1983, Elway was drafted #1 overall by the Baltimore Colts, but refused to play for them. He threatened to ditch football entirely and play pro baseball for the Yankees. The power play worked. He was traded to Denver before ever taking an NFL snap.
- “The Drive” is still one of the wildest NFL moments: Elway took the Broncos 98 yards in just over 5 minutes to tie the 1986 AFC Championship—silencing a Browns stadium that was already planning Super Bowl parties.
Watch “Elway”
You can watch “Elway” on Netflix.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 95/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: This is a new doc, so no ratings yet. But I am sure it will be highly rated.
Director’s Note: This doc is part of Netflix’s sports bio series and plays like a high-stakes retrospective. It was directed by Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver.
Release Date: December 2025
My Review of “Elway”
The Setup
John Elway came into the NFL as the most hyped quarterback prospect of all time. He had a cannon arm, elite mobility, and even a fallback career in Major League Baseball. But it wasn’t a smooth ride. We see Elway’s evolution from a Super Bowl “choker” to a back-to-back champion and later the front-office architect of another title-winning Broncos team. If you’re a football fan, this one’s a legacy study with some jaw-dropping moments.
More Highlights from the Doc
- The film doesn’t just glorify Elway—it shows the hits he took, the crushing Super Bowl losses (55–10 vs. the 49ers, anyone?), and the emotional weight of carrying a team for 16 years.
- There’s strong use of archival footage, including his Stanford years, his baseball tryout with the Yankees, and raw sideline moments from AFC battles and Super Bowl heartbreaks.
- The doc also covers his post-playing career—his role in building the 2015 Broncos, including drafting Von Miller and signing Peyton Manning, culminating in a Super Bowl 50 win as an executive.
- Interview clips show Elway’s evolution—from cocky young QB to hardened vet to humbled front-office figure. He’s reflective in a way we haven’t seen before.
- He ended his career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the late ’90s. This was after being labeled for years as the QB who couldn’t win the big one.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Elway’s dad, Jack, was a college coach who made young John watch tape every day as a teen—not just for skill, but to understand football as a mental game.
- His Yankees contract wasn’t a bluff—he hit .318 for their Class-A team and had legit MLB potential. George Steinbrenner wanted to fast-track him to the majors if the NFL thing didn’t work.
- During Elway’s early Super Bowl runs, several Broncos players say off-camera that the team was nowhere near as talented as their NFC opponents—“We got there because of John.”
- Elway’s decision to step down from his front office role came after missing badly on several QB picks—including Paxton Lynch and Drew Lock—something he admits with rare vulnerability.
Wrap Up:
If you like football docs with heart, high drama, and a redemption arc, “Elway” delivers.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc