Stunned by Sunday’s 24-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Denver Broncos wasted no time in cleaning house to begin what looks to be a major re-haul of the team. John Elway, the Broncos’ GM and VP of football operations since January 2011, held a Monday morning meeting with head coach John Fox after which they released statements announcing a mutual “parting of the ways.” The heavily-favored Broncos’ finished the regular season atop the AFC West, but folded in a must-win game raising questions about the future of the coaching staff, as well as legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.

The season ended abruptly with another lack-luster performance in a championship game, making it a virtual certainty that changes would be made to the coaching staff sooner, rather than later. Elway earned a reputation as a fierce competitor in his 16 seasons as the Bronco’s franchise player, finishing with back-to-back Super Bowl wins and an MVP, and has made it clear as GM that anything short of  the Lombardi trophy would be unacceptable. “There is no Plan B,” Elway said when he signed former Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning, in 2012. He reiterated his commitment after the the drubbing the Broncos took at the hands of the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX saying, “The goal has not changed. It will not change.”

Fox compiled a 46-18 record in his 4 years as the Broncos head coach, taking the team to the playoffs in all 4 years, first with Tim Tebow as quarterback and then with Peyton Manning, but his 6-3 record in playoff games and the Bronco’s abysmal 48-3 performance loss to the Seahawks created perception idea that Fox could not win the big game.

The shake-up at Broncos headquarters extends to the assistant coaches who were told on Monday that they are free to interview with other teams. Offensive coordinator, Adam Gase, worked closely with both Elway and Manning in his three  seasons when the the Broncos and the  future Hall of Fame quarterback broke individual and league records. Gase interviewed for the head coach position with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, but San Francisco opted for defensive line coach Jim Tomsula leaving Del Rio to meet with Elway as a possible replacement for Fox. ESPN reported Wednesday that defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio, who served as interim head coach for a 4 week period in November 2013 when Fox had heart surgery, signed as head coach with the Oakland Raiders.

Following Sunday’s game when 25-year-old quarterback, Andrew Luck, led the Colts to the upset, it was revealed that Manning, who will be 39 years old in March, had been playing with a quad injury sustained in the Dec. 14 win against division rival San Diego. The Broncos concentrated on a more balanced offense in the last four games of the regular season and Sunday’s divisional, leaning heavily on running back C.J. Anderson to compensate for the diminished passing game. Manning was  ineffective in the game, completing only 26 out of 46 passes for 211 yards raising questions about his plans for the 2015 season. Brock Osweiller has been the back-up for Manning since 2012, but has seen little time on the field and it is unknown if he could step into the role of starting quarterback on a team focused on another trip to the Super Bowl.

The Broncos will also be addressing the salary cap and free agency as they look to restructure the team.