Denver acquired the rights to No. 1 overall pick John Elway…
Denver acquired the rights to No. 1 overall pick John Elway from the Colts for Chris Hinton, Mark Herrmann and a 1984 first-round selection that became Ron Solt. Elway became Denver's Hall of Fame franchise quarterback, leading five Super Bowl appearances and two championships. Hinton and Solt gave the Colts substantial value, but no return could match Elway's transformative career.
Denver Broncos Received
- other rights to John Elway
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Chris Hinton
- player Mark Herrmann
- pick 1984 first round pick (#19-Ron Solt)
Trade Analysis
Elway's refusal to play for the Colts forced an unusual negotiation after Baltimore selected him first overall in 1983. Denver ultimately sent Chris Hinton, Mark Herrmann and its 1984 first-round pick to the Colts for Elway's rights. That future selection became No. 19 overall and was used on guard Ron Solt.
Denver's result is among the easiest A+ outcomes in trade history. Elway spent all 16 of his NFL seasons with the Broncos, won league MVP, made nine Pro Bowls and led the franchise to five Super Bowl appearances. He closed his career with consecutive championships and a Super Bowl MVP award. The deal supplied Denver with its defining quarterback for a generation.
Indianapolis should not be graded as though it received nothing. Hinton became an outstanding offensive lineman, playing 177 career games and starting 172. He earned repeated Pro Bowl recognition during a long career. Solt also became a durable NFL guard, and Herrmann provided quarterback depth. For a team trading a player who had made clear he did not intend to play for it, that was a respectable recovery package.
The difference is the ceiling. Denver acquired a Hall of Fame quarterback who changed the trajectory of the franchise, while Indianapolis assembled several good pieces without finding an equivalent cornerstone. An A+ for Denver is unavoidable. A B for the Colts gives proper credit to Hinton and the first-round return and recognizes the leverage problem Indianapolis faced. Denver still wins overwhelmingly because Elway delivered elite quarterback value for 16 seasons.