Mark Schlereth knows firsthand what the Denver Broncos franchise is capable of.
As an anchor of Denver’s offensive line in the late-1999s, the man affectionately known as “Stink” was a part of the organization’s first two Super Bowl winning seasons.
In the 2015 season, the Broncos added a third Lombardi Trophy to their collection. The years since, however, have been anything but successful for Denver, which hasn’t returned to the postseason since its last Super Bowl-winning season and hasn’t enjoyed a winning record since the 2016 campaign.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN on Thursday, Schlereth was asked about the state of his former franchise. And the Fox Sports analyst didn’t mince words about where he stands on the Broncos following Russell Wilson’s disastrous two-season stint in Denver.
“For eight years, this place has been garbage,” Schlereth said. “The Denver Broncos were a crown jewel in the National Football League. And they’re not, they’re irrelevant. And we keep putting Band-Aids on things and think that that’s going to fix it.”
"For eight years this place has been garbage and the Denver Broncos used to be a crown jewel of the National Football League..
I'm glad that they're tearing it down and trying to rebuild it" ~ @markschlereth #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zK0XwyezJB
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 7, 2024
While some fans have criticized Denver head coach Sean Payton for his handling of Wilson, who the Broncos have announced they will release, the two-time Pro Bowl selection has a different opinion the matter.
“I for one am sitting here and saying, ‘Thank you, Sean Payton, for recognizing this team is not very good.’ This team does not have one guy that’s homegrown on this football team that’s ever even come close to sniffing the playoffs. Ever.
“So ultimately it is time to quit putting Band-aids on gaping wounds and it’s time to perform some surgery. And I think that’s exactly what Sean Payton is doing… I, for one, am glad that they’re actually moving on and saying, ‘Hey, we’re gonna fix this thing. And we’re gonna tear it down. And we’re gonna rebuild it.'”
With Wilson’s release resulting in an $85 million cap hit, Denver might not have any other choice. But to Schlereth’s point, if the Broncos are ever going to return to their days of glory, it’s going to require an approach different than the one they have been taking for the last eight years.
