The Denver Broncos are mourning the death of legendary wide receiver Lionel Taylor following his death at the age of 89.
The team revealed the news with a statement on Wednesday night, announcing that he passed away on August 6.
Taylor is a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers – in 1974 and 1975 – but is most well-known as a player with the Broncos.
He began his NFL career with the Chicago Bears in 1959 but then spent seven years in Denver, where he became the first player in professional football history to record 100 catches in a season.
He is in the Broncos’ Ring of Honor and has a bust outside the team’s stadium in Denver.
During the height of his career, he was named a three-time American Football League All-Star.
The Denver Broncos revealed the death of Lionel Taylor with a statement on Wednesday night
Taylor (center) poses in 1966 during his time in the NFL playing for the Denver Broncos
Outside the Broncos’ stadium, there is a bust with Taylor’s face and number on it
Taylor signs a helmet with all three Broncos logos on it during a media appearance in 2000
Speaking in 2024, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy said: ‘We all need role models in life, and fortunately, there was a Lionel Taylor there that I could look at and say, “Yeah, this is possible”.
‘I came in the league with Herm Edwards and Ray Rhodes, and we all became head coaches. It would not have happened without Lionel Taylor.’
More recently, Taylor lived near Albuquerque, New Mexico, but said in 2024: ‘Denver is home. It will always be home.’