The NFL got to witness one of the most successful quarterback-tight end partnerships during the 90s. Fast forward to the 2020s, and the former Denver Broncos duo still holds a strong bond, which was recently seen when a fan claimed Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is better than John Elway.
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A fan wrote in praise for Prescott, saying “Dak better than Elway.”
This didn’t sit well with Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who played with Elway from 1990-98, as he replied, “At what?”
Sharpe and Elway were one of the finest pairs to ever step foot on the gridiron, winning two Super Bowls together for the Broncos. Sharpe also invited Elway to his Club Shay Shay podcast in January 2026 for an interview, chatting about the old times and some of the greatest games the duo played together.
Sharpe has been critical of Prescott when it comes to being able to land the team a Super Bowl appearance, and recently criticized him after the Cowboys’ 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team that was led by rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. Sharpe was blunt when one of the fans compared Prescott to NFL legend Tom Brady.
“They in different books. Not even in the same book. I know this man ain’t mentioned Dak Prescott and Tom Brady in the same sentence,” Sharpe said. “Whatever book you reading and you got Tom Brady, just close the book. Then pick up another book and start reading about Dak.”
While Sharpe holds strong critical opinions against Prescott, it is rather the opposite for Elway, whom he partnered with to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons as a tight end. It all started when Sharpe was selected in the seventh round by the Broncos in 1990, with Elway already in his eighth season, having three Pro Bowl selections and being the 1987 MVP.
“For some reason, he (Elway) took a liking to me,” Sharpe said in March 2020. “Maybe because I joked, I keep the locker room [light]… I’m a seventh-round draft pick. They gave me the number one, so basically I’m just a camp body.”
While Sharpe saw himself as a “camp body,” his brother, Sterling Sharpe, made him aware of the opportunity and told him to know “what you’re supposed to do” when he got a chance. And he got his chance in his second season, when other tight ends got hurt, and he was the one left, being a 205-pounder.
“I just started building this relationship with John,” said Sharpe. “Every tough catch that needed to be made I was making in practice. Because you can’t get that trust in the game if he doesn’t trust you in practice. I started sitting next to him during the meetings. ‘Okay, how do you want me to run these routes?'”
The two started linking up, which made Sharpe earn seven Pro Bowl honors in the process, while Elway won two Super Bowls during his last two years of his illustrious career.
“Shannon helped make us a unique offense,” Elway said in 2011. “He was a matchup problem for defenses. He really opened up our offense and helped make us very difficult to play against.”
With the two sharing such a close bond, there was no way that Sharpe was justifying the claims made by a fan. Though both Elway and Prescott hold a strange connection themselves, one that made Prescott a Cowboys player.
Prescott had visited the Broncos before the 2016 NFL Draft. The only problem was that he missed his flight earlier, which made him late for the meeting, and he thought this contributed to then-general manager John Elway going for prospect Paxton Lynch instead of bidding for Prescott.
While the Cowboys were in the race for Lynch as well, they ended up with Prescott as Elway took hold of Lynch. Fast forward to 2026, and Prescott is now a four-time Pro Bowler.
So while the three are connected to each other, the Broncos duo’s history with each other and the accolades they have achieved together are the reason Sharpe didn’t hold back in response to the fan’s claim.
For now, Sharpe continues to focus on his podcasts Club Shay Shay and Nightcap. Meanwhile, Elway enjoys his retirement, having multiple businesses like John Elway Dealerships for passive income. On the other hand, Prescott is still trying to clinch his first Super Bowl trophy.