A year ago, John Elway decided to fire -- I mean, mutually part ways with -- a coach who'd not only won a playoff game with Tim Tebow, but a coach who'd also won 46 regular-season games in four years. But, with the Broncos seeking more playoff success, Elway and John Fox said their goodbyes, with Fox quickly landing in Chicago with the Bears.
A year later, with new head coach Gary Kubiak at the helm, the Broncos are a Super Bowl 50 win away from securing their first championship since Elway quarterbacked the team. In other words, Elway's decision to move on from Fox appears to be completely justified, which is what Elway pretty much said at Opening Night.
"This is why we made the decision," Elway said, per The Chicago Sun-Times. "This was the idea -- to get better and get past the first round.
"We had a good regular season, but struggled in the first round. So the idea, the goal -- what our owner wants -- is to win a championship. That's why the decision was made last year to go in a different direction. And Gary's done a tremendous job."
So, let's be fair to Fox: Like Kubiak, he made it to the Super Bowl. He did, however, get squashed in the title game two years ago, losing by 35 points to the Seahawks. Still, until Kubiak wins a Super Bowl, the Broncos can't really claim to be better off.
After all, Fox's success wasn't fleeting. He enjoyed sustained success in Denver.
"I think John did a great job when he was here -- there's no question. He won four AFC West championships, so he did a tremendous job," Elway said, adding that Fox's Bears made "some strides this year."
Regardless of the result, Super Bowl 50 won't be a pleasant experience for Fox. If he tunes in, he'll be forced to watch his two former teams battle it out on the NFL's biggest stage. Furthermore, both of the coaches in the game -- Kubiak and Carolina's Ron Rivera -- replaced Fox. Meanwhile, Fox is currently trying to repair a six-win team.
