ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For the Denver Broncos' players, there is John Elway the player.

The guy they've seen on highlights and, in Denver, driven by his car dealerships or eaten in the steakhouse that bears his name.

Then there is John Elway, their boss. That’s the guy they often call "Mr. Elway," who is the Broncos’ top football decision-maker and overseeing the team’s current search for a head coach.

And as the Broncos interview their third candidate for the job Tuesday -- Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph (Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub interviewed Friday and Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan interviewed Saturday) -- those who will play for the eventual new coach say they trust Elway to go three-for-three in that department.

“He’s done it every single time," linebacker Von Miller said. “I don’t see why that would change. He’s the king of the comeback, both on and off the football field."

“He wins there too," linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “What the team has done speaks for itself."

In 2011, his first year on the job, Elway hired John Fox, who was the fifth, and final, candidate the team interviewed in that search. The Broncos went on to win four consecutive division titles and went to a Super Bowl after a record-setting season on offense in 2013.

In 2015, Elway hired Gary Kubiak -- Joseph was a candidate for the job in that search as well and was scheduled to interview with the Broncos two days before Kubiak did that time around -- and the Broncos won another division title to go with Super Bowl 50.

“I think the guys out there know what kind of team we have," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr. “If I was a coach, why wouldn’t you want to come here? We got our defense, we have guys like (wide receiver Demaryius Thomas) and Emmanuel (Sanders) on offense. I think we’re getting back in the playoffs."

Elway himself said as much on the day Kubiak stepped away for health reasons. Asked that day if he believed the Broncos were close to returning to a Super Bowl, Elway didn’t even pause before starting his answer with:

“Yes, it’s proven."

That attitude bred confidence in the huddle when he was a player, and it now breeds the same sort or confidence as an executive. It’s why even as Kubiak stunned his players with his announcement just after the regular-season finale, those same players were quickly in we-trust-Elway mode soon after Kubiak’s departure became official.

“He’s the king of the comeback," Miller said. “I don’t know how we does it. I just know it’s going to continue to happen."

Elway said last week while getting the “right guy" was the top priority in the search but that he also wanted to find that right guy “as quickly as we can."

And at the moment that search has focused on Shanahan, Toub and Joseph, as many in the league say the Broncos haven’t formally requested permission to interview any other candidates to this point. But Kubiak was just the second candidate they interviewed in 2015 as Doug Marrone cancelled his interview and Teryl Austin pulled his name from consideration after Kubiak, a former Broncos player and assistant, had been contacted.

Elway said the team would go through “a detailed process" to make the pick and that how the team believed the coach would be able to relate to, and motivate, players was as important as the X's and O's would be.

“So much of it is the relationship that goes on that goes on in that locker room, the relationship they have with the head coach and the effort that’s put out there," Elway said. “If you know how to motivate a football team and to be able to be on the same page with a football team, I think is as important. Obviously you want a guy that can manage people and understand what he wants to do on the offensive side as well as the defensive side, but also can manage coaches and manage players, which I think is the biggest part of that job."