John Fox had less than 24 hours to clean out his office and clear the Broncos’ slate. Weeks earlier the coach had helped the Broncos win their fourth consecutive AFC West title, but their hopes of a Super Bowl return ended abruptly the night of Jan. 11, 2015, when Denver lost a divisional playoff game to Peyton Manning’s former team, the Colts.
So, the next afternoon, Fox was shown the door in a mutual split. John Elway, the Broncos’ general manager and face of the franchise, wanted the season to at least end with a fight, even if it didn’t come with a championship ring.