Another year, another former Broncos player has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware became the 13th player to spend multiple seasons with the Broncos and be voted into the Hall of Fame Thursday, marking the fifth time in seven years the franchise has been represented.
Ware will be the seventh person connected to the Broncos to be inducted since 2017, following running back Terrell Davis (2017), cornerback Champ Bailey and late owner Pat Bowlen (2019), safety Steve Atwater (2020), and quarterback Peyton Manning and safety John Lynch (2021). He joins defensive back Ronde Barber, cornerback Darrelle Revis, offensive tackle Joe Thomas and linebacker Zach Thomas as 2023 modern-era inductees.
“On behalf of the Denver Broncos, we congratulate DeMarcus Ware on his well-deserved election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement released by the team shortly after the announcement.
“DeMarcus became a Super Bowl champion as a Bronco, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history on one of the greatest defenses of all-time. His leadership, professionalism and many clutch performances are fondly remembered throughout our organization.”
A four-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection over 12 seasons, Ware made his name with the Dallas Cowboys but got his ring with the Broncos.
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound edge rusher spent the first nine years of his career with the Cowboys after being selected with the 11th overall pick of the 2005 draft out of Troy. After being released by the Cowboys in March of 2014, he signed with Broncos two days later and soon formed a ferocious pass rush opposite Von Miller.
Ware accumulated 17.5 sacks over 27 games in his first two seasons in Denver, earning Pro Bowl nods both years and a championship ring in Year 2 as part of the Super Bowl 50-winning squad. Ware’s production dropped off to four sacks over 10 games in his final year with the Broncos in 2016, which also ended up being his last season in the NFL.
Overall, Ware finished with 138.5 sacks in his career (117.0 with Dallas) — good for ninth all-time since the NFL began officially keeping track of the stat in 1982.
Ware recorded double-digit sacks in a season eight times, including seven years in a row in Dallas and once with the Broncos in his first season in Denver. His best season came in 2008 with the Cowboys, when he racked up 20 sacks and 27 tackles for loss.
He was a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year.
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