Like Stephen Ross, John Elway is now firing back at Brian Flores ... saying he was NOT hungover during their 2019 interview and was simply just tired from flying to speak with the coach.
Flores, in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, accused Elway and the Broncos of conducting a "sham interview" with him 3 years ago ... saying Elway and others at the meeting "looked completely disheveled" and were "obviously" "drinking heavily the night before."
Elway, though, refuted those claims in a lengthy statement on Thursday .