Ex-Broncos exec John Beake, who helped land John Elway, dies at 87
John Beake, the longtime Broncos executive who engineered the trade for John Elway, has died at 87, the team said.
Why this is trending
People are searching John Beake's name because the Denver Broncos announced Saturday that the former executive died at age 87. The team said Beake's family confirmed his death. No cause has been given.
Beake is the man who helped bring John Elway to Denver in the first place. As general manager in 1983, he engineered the trade with the Baltimore Colts that landed Elway, who went on to become a Hall of Fame quarterback and later the team's general manager.
What is known
Beake joined the Broncos in 1979 and held multiple personnel roles before being named general manager in 1983. That same year he worked out the trade for Elway.
The Broncos credited Beake with helping guide the franchise to five Super Bowl appearances, including back-to-back world championships, calling him a respected leader through one of the most successful eras in team history. Elway himself won Super Bowls as a quarterback and later as the team's GM.
In 2000, Beake moved into a different role with the Broncos, serving as vice president of administration. He then went to the NFL league office, where he worked as vice president of player development and managing director of NFL Europe's football operations.
Before Denver, Beake worked under Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram as an offensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs and later with the New Orleans Saints.
What we do not know
The Broncos did not give a cause of death. No additional details on his final years or health have been released.
The team's full statement focused on his football legacy. "John helped guide the Broncos to five Super Bowl appearances, including back-to-back world championships and was a respected leader throughout one of the most successful eras in franchise history," the organization said.
What happens next
No public services or memorial details have been announced. We will update if the Broncos or Beake's family release further information.
For now, the tributes center on what Beake built in Denver: a front office that turned one trade for a young quarterback out of Stanford into one of the defining runs in franchise history.
Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.