Jan. 16, 2026, 12:18 p.m. MT
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is expected to be a coveted head coach candidate once the team’s season wraps up (hopefully not until after the Super Bowl).
Joseph credited the team’s overall success as a reason why he’s drawn so much interest from teams seeking new head coaches.
“Yes, it’s flattering, but it speaks to the entire program,” Joseph said earlier this week. “Again, I think when teams want to hire a coach from a winning program, they want the recipe. So it speaks to Coach [Sean] Payton, it speaks to the ownership, it speaks to George [Paton], our players. It’s everyone’s reward, so to speak. It’s strange that way.
“Obviously, when teams are struggling and they want to make a change, they look towards the teams who are winning. How we flipped here in the last three years, it’s pretty special. It’s a way to do it. That secret lies with us, so they want that secret.”
For now, Joseph’s focus remains on the NFL playoffs. The Broncos are set to host the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round on Saturday, and Denver will host the AFC Championship game next week if they make it past Buffalo.
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“It’s been on the back burner,” Joseph said, via the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders. “For me, winning is a priority. What happens after that happens. I can’t control that. … I’ve been focused the entire time on winning games for the Broncos.”
If Joseph ends up landing a head coach job with an NFL team, Denver would receive a third-round compensatory draft pick in 2026 and another third-round pick in 2027 as part of the NFL’s Rooney Rule that rewards teams for developing minority coaches and executives.
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