The Denver Broncos might lose a coach or two this offseason.
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is a candidate for at least two head coach openings, and special teams assistant coach Chris Banjo is a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams coordinator job. (Two Denver executives are also drawing interest from other clubs.)
Broncos coach Sean Payton is not concerned about the possibility of losing members of his staff. In fact, Payton views it as a positive.
“I think it’s a great sign, No. 1 for Vance,” Payton said on Jan. 6. “He’s smart. He’s a great communicator. He has a very calm and I would say strong voice. His players play extremely hard for him. He’s been a great addition to our staff.”
Payton then recalled a conversation he had with late former New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson.
“My early years in New Orleans, I can recall the late Mr. Benson came down, and we had been winning and had a number of coaches that had interview opportunities,” Payton said. “I think one season we had three or four. He said, ‘Coach, we have a lot of interest in our coaches now. What do you think about that?’ I said, ‘Mr. Benson, we shouldn’t worry.’ I said, ‘We should only worry when there’s no interest.’
“I think that trying to find and hire quality coaches that are passionate about what they’re doing — guys like Vance his expertise. History has told us on a number of occasions the second experience for guys often times can be positive. … I think that Vance is going to be a head coach again.”
Payton would be more concerned if none of his coaches were drawing interest from other clubs. It’s a good reflection on the staff that Payton has built in Denver, and Payton will be trusted to find the right replacements if any coaches do leave his staff in 2025.
