The cat is out of the bag in Denver regarding the likely resignation of coach Gary Kubiak. If/when Kubiak resigns after only two years on the job, where will the franchise go from here?
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media already has pegged Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph as the leading candidate for the job, suggesting that the hire could come quickly.
Joseph, then the defensive backs coach in Cincinnati, interviewed for the Denver head-coaching job in 2015, before Kubiak was hired. Joseph has drawn rave reviews for his work in Miami this year.
Other candidates for the job two years ago have since become head coaches elsewhere, including former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase (Dolphins), former Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio (Raiders), and former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (Falcons). Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin declined to interview with the Broncos during the last hiring cycle.
Some have already speculation that John Elway could be interesting in bringing Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to Denver, where his father once coached Elway to a pair of Super Bowl wins. Whether that would occur depends in part on the current status of the relationship between Elway and Mike Shanahan; some say it’s not great.
The Broncos seem to need offensive help, but with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ contract expiring, they may have real needs on each side of the ball.
However it plays out, the Super Bowl 50 champions could be in an unexpected state of disarray. Elway has done a great job with the team over the last six years, but as they prepare for the first offseason under Elway that won’t be preceded by a playoff berth, there’s plenty of work to be done.
