Not long before he retired, former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer had said “Mike Shanahan is still looking for the next John Elway.”
Fast forward to now and we can see just how accurate the Snake’s quote is.
Mike Shanahan is getting his share of flak around the league for benching Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman but this doesn’t come as a surprise to those who have been paying attention.
If you see Mr. Mcnabb just tell him it’s ok Don, you’ve been Griesed. That’s right. That’s the offical term for when Mike Shanahan un-expectedly benches his starting quarterback.
It all goes back to a sunny August day less than two weeks before the Broncos season opener in 1999. Elway had just retired and Bubby Brister was without a doubt the new starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos…(play record scratch noise – insert Brian Griese).
Shanahan seemingly out of nowhere decides to go with the young Brian Griese and two days later Bubby Brister lost it.
So now you see how McNabb was Griesed? Bubby basically said he would have thrown down with Mike if it was a one-on-one deal but he had teammates to consider.
But wait, there’s more. Jake Plummer himself was Griesed. After winning 75 percent of his regular season games as the Broncos starting quarterback and an AFC title game loss to the Steelers in a season where the Broncos were 7-4…Plummer got Griesed big time.
Shanahan benched Plummer for Jay Cutler and the rest, they say, is history.
