Feb. 2, 2026, 9:30 a.m. MT
All ten of the NFL’s 2026 head coach openings have been filled, so it appears that Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will remain with the team for another season.
That’s welcomed news for defensive lineman Zach Allen, who has spent his entire career under Joseph, who was a DC with the Arizona Cardinals when they drafted him in 2019. Four seasons later, Joseph took the DC job in Denver and Allen followed him as a free agent.
“‘VJ’ has been everything,” Allen said after the team’s season wrapped up last month. “I mean, it’s all I know. He gave me my start. I was kind of a tweener coming out of college, and he really helped me kind of find that role and play to my strengths. Without him, I don’t know if I’m here just because a lot of places might’ve given up on me.
“There was a two-year kind of learning curve in Arizona, and the fact that he brought me here and really has let me flourish here and everything like that. It’s not just as a coach, but also just off the field, how great he’s been to me and my family. He’s really a friend for life, and I’m forever grateful for him.”
Allen has shown consistent improvement under Joseph, and he was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler following the 2025 season. After recording 87 quarterback hits and 15.5 sacks over the last two seasons, Allen will look to continue flourishing under Joseph in 2026.
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