John Elway’s new Netflix docuseries (titled Elway) dropped just a few days ago, which gives us a deep dive into his life and legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. So, Netflix leaned into that theme by putting Elway through a fun quarterback comparison game.
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Simple setup, really. Elway was given two elite quarterback names, picked one to advance, and the loser was knocked out. The winner then faced a new challenger.
But along the way, this lighthearted exercise stopped being so light when Elway took an unexpected jab at former Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw. Or maybe it wasn’t so unexpected?
The game started with Joe Montana versus Patrick Mahomes. Elway sided with Montana, pointing to his four Super Bowl rings compared to Mahomes’ three. He was quick to add context, though, saying that 30-year-old Mahomes still has a whole lot of time to close that gap.
Montana then went on a bit of a run. Elway kept him on top while ousting Peyton Manning (two rings), Lamar Jackson (none), and Steve Young (three), largely sticking to the championship resume argument. From that angle, the logic tracked as well.
But things got interesting when Bradshaw entered the mix. Despite having four Super Bowl rings to his name, just like Montana, the former Steelers quarterback was dismissed rather quickly. In fact, Elway brushed Bradshaw aside by saying that he sat much lower on his personal list.
“No doubt, [I pick] Joe Montana. Terry Bradshaw’s way down on my list,” Elway said.
“I always said I would never trade my ability for anybody else, so I would take me.”
Winner Stays On: Quarterback Edition with John Elway
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What’s funny is that Elway praised every quarterback he eliminated against Montana. Well, everyone except Bradshaw. He even picked Tom Brady over Montana at the end. So why the apparent dig?
No one can say for sure, but history gives us some clues. Elway was never particularly fond of Bradshaw after the former Steelers QB publicly criticized him for refusing to play for the Baltimore Colts in 1983, calling it a “slap in the face to the draft.” Elway clearly did not take that lightly.
Later in his career, Elway suggested Bradshaw had targeted him specifically after he entered the league. Bradshaw, for his part, later said the two did not speak much. There have also been murmurs online that Bradshaw was not a fan of Elway’s confident California personality.
Whatever the reason behind the snub, we may never fully know. Still, it’s fun to see a player nearly three decades removed from the NFL keeping mental receipts. He even picked himself as the best quarterback in the game, and that says something.
