So it begins.
According to the NFL Network’s lead league insider, the Tennessee Titans have requested to interview Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for their vacant head coaching position. This will be the first of many requests coming in for the Broncos’ defensive coach.
The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan back in October and are not
wasting anytime to get the ball rolling with interviews. They requested to interview Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Matt Nagy already, and now, they’re requesting to interview Vance Joseph.
Vance Joseph was the Denver Broncos head coach from 2017 through the 2018 season, and things did not go great for him. The team at the time did not have stable ownership at all, was on the tail end of John Elway’s GM tenure, and they were still searching and failing to find a quarterback. Vance had his issues, too, but in retrospect, he was dealt a tough hand by the Broncos. After he was fired by the Broncos, he would go on to be the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2019 through 2022. He was solid at best during his time there, but did not do anything to get himself back into the head coaching conversation. However, that all changed in 2023 when he had an opportunity to rejoin the Broncos and be Sean Payton’s defensive coordinator.
Vance’s second stint with the Broncos did not start great and was infamously part of the 70-point game vs. the Miami Dolphins. Many, myself included, called for him to be fired after just a handful of games. Thankfully, Payton and the Broncos did not do that, and from that point on, Vance Joseph turned this Broncos defense into one of the best units in the entire NFL.
His defense has led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons, and this year, his defense ranked 2nd in total yards, 7th in pass yards, 2nd in rush yards allowed, 3rd in points allowed, and led the NFL in sacks with 68. On top of that, Vance’s defense had the 2nd-best third-down defense and the 2nd-best red-zone defense. His defense is a big reason why the Broncos are 14-3, the one seed in the AFC, and AFC West Champs, and has earned him another shot at being a head coach.
The other teams with head coaching vacancies include the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons currently, and we will see if those teams request to meet with Joseph or not. It sounds like Joseph is going to be a popular man this coaching cycle, so we’ll have to see if he lands a head coaching gig or not. If he does, due to the Rooney Rule, the Broncos would receive a 3rd round compensatory selection in 2026 and in 2027.
