A Denver Broncos legend has revealed that head coach Mike Shanahan delivered a blunt ultimatum to tight end Shannon Sharpe following the team's 16-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders on October 10, 1999, at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.
The game, which marked a divisional win for Denver, apparently prompted Shanahan to tell Sharpe, "You're not going to play for me," according to the unnamed former player. Shanahan had been the Broncos' head coach since 1995, while Sharpe was in his second stint with the franchise after returning from Baltimore in 1999.
Details of the confrontation and its aftermath were not disclosed in the report. Sharpe went on to play two more seasons in Denver before retiring after the 2000 campaign, catching 1,812 career passes for 22,354 yards and 125 touchdowns across 14 NFL seasons.
