John Lynch joins the Broncos to add on to a Hall of Fame career

About two decades later, it’s easy to see that Lynch’s stint went about as well as could be expected.

In his first season with the Broncos, he started 15 games and was a versatile piece in Denver’s secondary with 66 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a career-best 10 passes defensed, one interception and three forced fumbles.

The 2004 season also featured his return to Tampa Bay. It was naturally an emotional game; Lynch said he did not sleep the night before and added that he may have been more nervous than before the Super Bowl. But his production that day showed little evidence of any weariness or nerves.

As the Bradenton Herald’s Mike Henry wrote: “Lynch showed Tampa Bay fans and management he has plenty left, making seven tackles and knocking down a last-second desperation heave by Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms.”

Lynch and the Broncos further rounded into former the following season, as Denver went 13-3. In his 13th season, Lynch had one of his more productive seasons with 62 total tackles, two interceptions, eight passes defensed and two tackles for loss. He also set new career highs in sacks (four) and forced fumbles (four).

And as Shanahan had said when Denver signed Lynch, they went deeper in the playoffs than they had since the 1998 championship season. After a first-round bye, the Broncos toppled the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Patriots. With an interception and five tackles, Lynch was a key to Denver forcing Tom Brady into a 74.0 passer rating on the day.

While the Broncos fell in the AFC Championship the following week, the season represented the most success the franchise had found since their Super Bowl victories near the end of the previous decade.

A little over two years later, Lynch called it a career. In each of his four seasons in Denver, he earned a Pro Bowl selection, a remarkable achievement that pushed his career total to nine. Lynch is one of just four safeties since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to record…