Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who also served as the team’s head coach from 2017-18, interviewed for the Raiders’ and Jets’ HC posts in this year’s carousel. While he did not appear to be a serious contender for either job, an October report suggested he would be back on the head coaching radar in a more meaningful way in 2026, and Mike Klis of 9News confirms as much.
According to Kils, Joseph is the candidate who has been mentioned most frequently with respect to one of the HC vacancies in the upcoming cycle. After working as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2019-22, the 53-year-old joined Sean Payton’s first staff in Denver in 2023. Although his ‘23 unit finished near the bottom of the league in terms of both total defense and points per game, his 2024-25 defenses have been among the NFL’s best.
As Klis notes, Joseph is particularly well-regarded for his ability to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which is perhaps the most important attribute of a defense in the modern game. The Broncos have amassed a league-leading 112 sacks in the past one-and-a-half seasons, which is one of the reasons why Joseph is expected to generate so much HC interest (he has already been connected to the Titans’ vacancy).
When asked earlier this week about the attention his work has earned, Joseph predictably downplayed his HC aspirations while acknowledging that working under Payton has provided him with valuable insight as to how to “fix” a team (which is similar to what Commanders offensive coordinator and former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Joseph’s ex-boss, recently said about working under Dan Quinn).
“It’s flattering, but my second time through the process, or my third or fourth time through the process, I don’t think about it,” Joseph said. “I really don’t because I know it’s about winning. Everyone wants to hire winners. They want to hire someone who’s fixed something. And there’s no better example than what we’ve done here the last three years. Being with Sean Payton helped my learning with how to fix a team.”
Joseph posted a disappointing 11-21 record in his two seasons as the Broncos’ bench boss, but Denver’s quarterback situation during that time left much to be desired. Additionally, Joseph’s team was 6-6 in 2018 before injuries to Pro Bowlers Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders helped key a four-game skid to close that season.
As of the time of this writing, the 9-2 Broncos are just a half-game behind the Patriots for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Naturally, Joseph indicated his attention is focused on his team’s postseason push, and he said he will be happy to return to Denver if he does not land an HC job in 2026.
“The key is to win. And not worry about the process,” he said. “It’s the Broncos’ season right now and that’s my focus, honestly. If it happens, I’ll be happy. And if it doesn’t, I’m still going to have a good job. I have good players. I’m in a great city. I have no worries, honestly.”
His accomplishments aside, there could be another reason for the buzz around Joseph. As our Sam Robinson recently wrote in a subscribers-only piece, the would-be 2026 crop of offensive-minded HC talent (like Kingsbury) has not generated much momentum in 2025, which could make teams more inclined to consider defensive-oriented candidates.