To Denver Broncos fans, there is hardly a more tumultuous time in franchise history than the Josh McDaniels era. McDaniels was one of the most controversial coaches in history, with arguably his most redeeming action as coach being the selection of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the 2010 NFL draft.
The toxicity wasn't just apparent from the fans; it was apparently even worse inside the locker room, according to former Broncos lineman Tyler Polumbus. During an interview on Guerilla Sports, Polumbus shared the story of how McDaniels cut him from the team prior to the 2010 season, an action which the former lineman declared a spiteful move.
"I'm really not this guy, I don't talk back to coaches," Polumbus said on Guerilla Sports' "Dumb Jock" podcast.
"I did it, I think, twice in my career that I can think of. One was with Josh, and I got cut the next day... the whole building is just terrified, right? Coaches are terrified, secretaries are terrified; every single day the whole building is just walking on eggshells. The problem was, the coaches weren't on the same page with Josh, so they didn't always know what to teach.
"We had an old (Demaryius Thomas) bubble screen, the one that Peyton (Manning) made famous with them. My coach in the offensive line room says, 'All right, Tyler, I want you take three steps down to the right go down, hard left and then go cut the defensive back.' So we go out to practice... I do my three steps, I go out; Josh just starts (cursing at) me left and right, 'What are you doing? One step and get out, how many times we got to tell you?'
"I'm like, 'I did exactly what the hell you told me to do'... Anyways, lo and behold, um next day I get cut!"
You can view an abbreviated explanation of Polumbus' cut story below.
Tyler Polumbus shared the story of how he was cut from the Denver Broncos. 🏈🐴 @Tyler_Polumbus
— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) September 19, 2024
Watch the full story on the newest episode of Dumb Jock, on our YouTube channel.
🎥: https://t.co/mutOLhuKJv
🎧: https://t.co/e8mCOF0GEp#NFL | #Football | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/yIarCCEn1A
Polumbus and "Dumb Jock" host Nate Jackson went on to discuss his return to Denver, his relationship with Ring of Fame coach Mike Shanahan across the NFL, and many other hilarious stories in the full 52-minute exchange. You can view Polumbus' full interview below.
Needless to say, without McDaniels, there would be no DT. Without DT, who knows if Peyton Manning decides to come to Denver. Without Peyton Manning, the Broncos never win Super Bowl 50. So do we all owe it to McDaniels? Survey says? Absolutely not! Good riddance to one of the worst eras in Broncos history.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Ex-Broncos lineman says Josh McDaniels cut him ‘out of pure spite’
