The Denver Broncos started their journey in 1959 as one of the founding teams of the AFL (American Football League) and played their first game in 1960. Initially, the Broncos were not successful in the AFL, with most seasons resulting in negative streaks during the year. After the merger of the AFL and NFL in the mid-1970s, the Broncos became competitive, making continuous playoff appearances from 1977 to 1979, and reaching the Super Bowl in 1977, but failing to win the championship. The Broncos remained in the spotlight throughout the 1980s with head coach Dan Reeves and the acquisition of John Elway via trade, one of the best quarterbacks in the sport. Together, they led the team to three Super Bowl finals (1986, 1987, 1989), but lost all three. In the early 1990s, the Broncos underwent several internal changes, including hiring new coach Mike Shanahan and drafting running back Terrell Davis. The years 1997 and 1998 were the best for the franchise, as they won their first two Super Bowls. After Elway's retirement, the Broncos only made the playoffs twice until the arrival of Peyton Manning in 2012. With Manning, they formed a formidable team and reached their seventh Super Bowl in 2013, but once again fell short of winning the trophy. However, two years later, they returned and managed to win their third championship.