In the first barstools-and-business-suits report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen regarding the termination of Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, Mort made a point that Peter King and a certain Internet hack first articulated after last month’s Bayou Classic on NBC.
With Broncos COO Joe Ellis declaring on the day that Spygate II hit the fan that McDaniels’ failure to sound the alarm regarding an obvious episode of cheating was not an offense for which McDaniels could be fired, the Broncos may have to eat those words if the team decides to fire McDaniels for cause, a device that would cut off the balance of his pay.
Per Mort, the Broncos could indeed fire McDaniels for cause. And, thus, McDaniels’ grievance would feature prominently and repeatedly the words of Ellis.
In the end, any grievance would be resolved by the league office, a playing field tilted in favor of the 32 franchises who employ the Commissioner and his staff. As a result, the Broncos will be more likely to distance themselves from Ellis’ comments in that forum than in an ordinary court of law.