John Elway Supports Joe Ellis After Pat Bowlen's Daughter Makes Ownership Play

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway voiced his support Friday for team president Joe Ellis after Beth Bowlen Wallace, the daughter of owner Pat Bowlen, announced interest Thursday in taking over control of the NFL franchise.

Elway said on Twitter he has "full confidence" in Ellis to carry out Bowlen's vision:

Bowlen turned over control of the organization to Ellis in 2014 after acknowledging he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

In January, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Ellis and the Pat Bowlen Trust for their handling of the Broncos while Bowlen dealt with his health issues.

"They are in compliance with our rules. They have been very thoughtful. They have done a terrific job of leading that franchise over the last several years as Pat's focused on his health issues," he told reporters. "I think Pat put that in place because of the case and the focus and the importance of the Broncos to him and making sure that it continued to be in the right hands and with the right kind of leadership."

Reuters provided a statement from Ellis after Bowlen Wallace's announcement.

"As a trustee and someone Pat designated to oversee his team, I have an enormous responsibility to carefully administer his succession plan and make decisions in the best interests of the Broncos," he said. "We will continue to follow Pat's blueprint—and nobody else's—while keeping our focus as an organization on having a successful season."

A separate statement from the Trust said her effort to take control went against the "long-standing succession plan that [Bowlen] created over many years of careful consideration," per Reuters.

The Broncos have won three Super Bowl titles since the Bowlen family purchased the franchise in 1984.