Report: Adam Gase ran up score on Broncos because John Elway bad-mouthed him to the 49ers

The story behind Adam Gase and his flirtation with the San Francisco 49ers has always involved a lot of speculation and some mystery. A common report was that Trent Baalke tried to force Jim Tomsula on him as defensive coordinator. Back in January, Gase chatted with Matt Maiocco, and he said there was no such requirement.

This past week, we might have learned a little more about what went down. The Miami Dolphins thumped the Denver Broncos, and at one point attempted an onside kick while leading 33-9. It seems likely that Gase wanted to send a message, and Dolphins beat writer Armando Salguero thinks he might know why.

Gase believed he was a front-runner for the 49ers job in 2015, but things soured fairly quickly. Salguero reported that a source told him Gase believes Broncos GM John Elway bad-mouthed him to Baalke during the the interview process. According to Salguero, Gase didn’t say anything at the time because he thought Elway was doing this in order to eventually hire him as the Broncos new head coach. Instead, Gary Kubiak got the job, and Gase was not pleased.

I don’t think we’ll ever get a firm answer on any of this, unless Trent Baalke decides to one day write a book. I won’t be holding my breath on that one. In the meantime, I’m enjoying seeing what a mess this season has been for the Broncos.