The great work of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph the last 3 seasons has not gone unnoticed
ESPN’s Dan Graziano put Joseph at No. 1 on his list of NFL head coaching candidats in the upcoming hiring cycle, singling out his work for the Broncos the last few seasons as they broke a 9-year playoff drought in 2024 and have an 11-2 record and are on a 10-game winning streak headed into Week 15.
It’s been Joseph’s defense which has weathered the storm for the Broncos as their rollercoaster offense sometimes shows up … and sometimes doesn’t.
“Joseph’s defense in Denver has ranked among the league’s best the past couple of years and has a chance to break the single-season sacks record in 2025 (55 through 13 games),” Graziano wrote on Friday, December 12. “Joseph is also a former head coach, having led the Broncos in 2017 and 2018. He didn’t have much success in the role, but he also didn’t have a star quarterback and has performed well enough in his current role that teams are interested in him for a potential second chance. Several people to whom I spoke for this list indicated that NFL head coaching experience will be a priority for some of the teams looking for new coaches, and Joseph has it.”
Teams Might Overlook Joseph’s Past Failure
Joseph went 11-21 in 2 seasons as Denver’s head coach in 2017 and 2018, but teams might be willing to look past that past failure because of his current success as a defensive coordinator.
The thinking for teams like the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, who both used first round picks on quarterbacks in 2025, if they hired Joseph, would be to bring in a top notch offensive coordinator to work with their young signal callers and let Joseph handle the front-facing stuff as well as turn the defense into one of the NFL’s best.
The Broncos were in a period of instability when Joseph was in charge, with 4 head coaches in 6 seasons as ownership switched hands from the Bowlen family to the Penner-Walton family before Payton was hired in 2023.
Joseph Could Lock Down Job Over Next Month
Joseph could put one of the jobs currently open on lock over the next month, although there are surely going to be more head coaches getting fired in the coming months as well. Every year, about a half dozen NFL head coaching jobs come open on average.
The Broncos’ final 4 regular season games are a murderer’s row — games against 3 playoff contenders with the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers, along with a Christmas Night game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 17.
If the Broncos go 3-1 or 4-0, you can almost guarantee the 53-year-old Joseph will be standing on a podium in a few months — whenever Denver’s playoff run is over — promising a new group of fans he’s going to lead them to the promised land.
“ESPN reported the Broncos could lose both DC Vance Joseph and QB coach Davis Webb in the 2026 NFL hiring cycle,” Mile High Huddle’s Zack Kelberman wrote on his official X account on December 11. “Webb is considered a candidate to become Joseph’s offensive coordinator if VJ lands a head-coaching job. The Giants are a potential landing spot for the pair.”
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