Former Broncos general manager Neal Dahlen, quietly one of the most decorated figures in modern NFL history, has died at 85 years old, granddaughter Allie Palko confirmed to The Denver Post.
Dahlen, a longtime front-office and personnel executive in the NFL, stood alone as the winner of the most Super Bowls in league history (seven) until Patriots head coach Bill Belichick surpassed him in 2017. Dahlen won five Super Bowls across a tenure of nearly two decades with the San Francisco 49ers, and won two more as the Broncos’ director of player personnel in 1997 and 1998.
Following quarterback John Elway’s retirement in 1998, Dahlen served as the Broncos’ general manager from 1999 to 2001 alongside head coach Mike Shanahan, as Denver went 25-23 in Dahlen’s three seasons at the helm. After his retirement, Dahlen remained in Centennial, where he passed away on Sunday, Palko said.
Palko remembered her grandfather as a “very quiet” man who didn’t crave the spotlight, but was an important figure in the background of a slew of championship teams. Around every Super Bowl, Palko posts a tribute on social media in remembrance of Dahlen’s career.
“I’m trying to keep sharing his legacy, because most people don’t know who he is unless they’re Googling, like, ‘Who has the most Super Bowl rings?’” Palko said.
Former Broncos Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who was on Denver’s staff for several years with Dahlen in the front office, remembered Dahlen helping steady the roster in the period after Elway’s retirement. Two seasons after the legendary quarterback hung it up, Denver went 11-5, as rookie running back Mike Anderson — a sixth-round-pick — was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year
“Between him being so quiet about his contributions, which were bigger than his voice, I guess – he was a real stable personality around there,” Dennison said of Dahlen. “He really kept things moving, and did his job without a lot of fanfare.”
Dahlen’s organizations went 7-0 in their Super Bowl appearances, across a career of over three decades in the NFL. Dahlen, a California native, was inducted into the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
“He was a man of few words,” Palko said. “But he has a big legacy.”
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