Monday morning, it was announced that Broncos legend and general manager John Elway and team president and CEO Joe Ellis tested positive for coronavirus over the past weekend.
COVID strikes top 2 Broncos executives: CEO Joe Ellis, GM John Elway learned early today they have tested positive for novel virus, per source. Team informed its employees this morning. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) November 3, 2020
Statement from the Broncos: pic.twitter.com/PPYuJQedZN
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 3, 2020
The news comes in wake of quite a few members of the Broncos organization testing positive over the past month, like running backs coach Curtis Modkins, offensive line coach Mike Munchak, and most recently, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and right guard Graham Glasgow, among others.
According to Mike Klis of the Broncos-affiliated 9News, Ellis started feeling ill on Sunday, and as a result, missed his first Broncos home game in more than a quarter of a century. Soon afterward, Elway started feeling sick early Monday and was sent home by team trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos.
It goes without saying that this news is incredibly concerning. Not only does this news mean it’s much more likely we see even more players and members of the Broncos organization test positive for the dangerous virus, but both Elway (age 60) and Ellis (age 61) fall in the “at-risk” category due to their age, and both are experiencing symptoms.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website the age of Elway and Ellis makes them four times more likely to be hospitalized than the average coronavirus case, and 30 times more likely to suffer fatal complications
The good news for the Broncos is that Elway and Ellis will receive top-notch medical care and even with those heightened rates, according to the CDC’s most recent data, it would be very unlikely that either of them would need to be hospitalized.