‘Three-peat’ to help entice Broncos in ‘99

Lynn DeBruin

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1999 | 10:18 a.m.

Elway weighing return for 17th season

MIAMI -- Mike Shanahan, like the rest of the Denver Broncos, was just a little bit disoriented early Monday morning after a night of celebration.

"Do you know why I'm late?" he asked at the team hotel before hopping on a helicopter for a ride to his news conference. "My wife already packed my bags. No shirt, no shoes. I thought I looked pretty good, but ... "

Actually, the borrowed Super Bowl shirt fit pretty nicely.

As did another Lombardi Trophy.

Now the question remains: Can the Broncos keep it going?

"I don't know," secondary coach Ed Donatell said. "One thing about Mike Shanahan is he's been able to keep this team focused and make the right transactions.

"We're very efficient as a staff, efficient as I can imagine. But it's tough. Everybody's after you. There are no bushes left to hide in after two championships."

Seven teams have now repeated as Super Bowl champs but no one has ever three-peated.

Though the Broncos have nearly all of their players under contract for next season, some decisions await.

The first concerns the expansion draft in which Denver must leave five players unprotected. Then there's the possibility of new opportunities for certain staff members, specifically receivers coach Mike Heimerdinger, who remains a candidate for offensive coordinator jobs in Jacksonville, Kansas City and Cleveland.

Finally, there's the issue of whether John Elway will return for a 17th season.

Tight end Shannon Sharpe still believes Elway already has made his decision.

"I'm not going to speculate," Sharpe said again Monday. "I'm going to enjoy my off-season. I want him to enjoy his. He earned the right to take as long as he needs."

Did Elway make any announcements in the shower Sunday night, as Sharpe claims he did last year?

"No comment," Sharpe said. "Actually now he's trying to get bribes in where he'll do this if you do this. What do you get a guy who has everything?"

While few got any sleep this time around, players and coaches alike talked of a different feeling afterward.

"Last year we were more excited," linebackers coach Frank Bush said.

"We had the double whammy of the Broncos never winning a Super Bowl and the AFC not winning for a while. This year we kind of felt like we should win. When we won it was kind of like a sigh of relief. And those guys (in Atlanta) had talked a lot of junk all week. We knew if we didn't see the Dirty Bird (dance), things would work out for us."

But he admitted a bittersweet feeling for some players.

"Some of the older guys look at John and guys like Neil Smith and wonder if those guys will come back," Bush said.

Others had a carefree attitude.

"I'm going to try not to think about it. I don't have to be a football player anymore until whenever," defensive tackle Keith Traylor said. "I'm going to go to Arkansas and relax."

Linebacker Seth Joyner, who finally got a Super Bowl ring after 12 years in the league, was preparing to say his farewells.

"I don't think it's really sunk in yet. It will take a little time," said Joyner, who was on the losing end with Green Bay last year.

"I'm pretty sure I won't be back," he said, citing salary-cap constraints and Denver's desire to develop younger players. "I got the ring.

"Now it's time to move on to other things."