3 former Broncos players involved in the Super Bowl
Three former Denver Broncos players have reached the Super Bowl, but only one of them is expected to play.
The San Francisco 49ers have two former Broncos on their roster — pass rusher Randy Gregory and backup quarterback Brandon Allen.
Gregory totaled three sacks in 10 games (2022-’23) before Denver traded him to San Francisco in exchange for a late-round draft pick in October. He has recorded 2.5 sacks in 14 games with the 49ers (including the playoffs). Gregory is expected to serve as a rotational pass rusher on Sunday.
Allen played for the Broncos in 2019, going 1-2 as a fill-in starter when the team had injuries at quarterback. Before landing in San Francisco, Allen was a backup with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-’22. Barring an emergency, Allen won’t play in Super Bowl LVIII.
The Kansas City Chiefs also have an ex-Denver player, but he’s on the practice squad: wide receiver Montrell Washington. The former fifth-round pick lasted just one season with the Broncos before being cut. Washington joined Kansas City’s practice squad in August and he spent six games on the active roster this season before returning to the practice squad.
In addition to Gregory and Allen, the 49ers also have two coaches who used to play for Denver: quarterbacks coach Brian Griese and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn. Additionally, San Francisco general manager John Lynch played safety for the Broncos, and running backs coach Bobby Turner formerly held that same role in Denver.
The 49ers also have three sons of former Broncos: head coach Kyle Shanahan (son of Mike), running back Christian McCaffrey (son of Ed) and assistant QBs coach Klay Kubiak (son of Gary). Their fathers won back-to-back Super Bowls in Denver in the late 1990s.
49ers OLB Randy Gregory
49ers backup QB Brandon Allen
Chiefs practice squad WR Montrell Washington
49ers QBs coach Brian Griese
49ers assistant head coach Anthony Lynn
49ers GM John Lynch
