Broncos greatest players of all-time: #20, wide receiver Ed McCaffrey

Broncos greatest players of all-time: #20, wide receiver Ed McCaffrey

There was some pushback when we had Aqib Talib so high on our Top 50 list, but I would expect there to be zero pushback for a fan favorite like Ed McCaffrey one spot ahead of Talib. McCaffrey was never a superstar in the NFL and wasn’t even the Denver Broncos’ number one receiver, but he was definitely the greatest number two receiver in Broncos history.

An outstanding blocker and route runner, they called him the human bruise due to his refusal to wear too much padding. He wanted every bit of athleticism he had working for him on the field without being weighed down.

Despite just one Pro Bowl appearance (1998), he had a very good run from 1998-200 before suffering a brutal leg injury in Week 1 of the 2001 season. He would come back strong in 2002, but ultimately retire in 2003.

One of his greatest moments came in Super Bowl 32 when he laid the wood on a linebacker to spring fullback Howard Griffith free for a big gain on their game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. That play will forever be immortalized for us fans.

In the post-John Elway era when the team was struggling to find its way, Eddie Mac continued to shine with his best statistical seasons opposite Rod Smith. Ed McCaffrey represented everything fans loved of the Pat Bowlen Broncos. That team of the late 1990s with John Elway, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith, Gary Zimmerman, Tom Nalen, and Eddie Mac on offense were the epitome of the Bowlen Broncos.

In this Top 50 greatest Broncos series, we’re just hitting our first of those seven players with the 20th spot. We’ll see the other six here soon enough.