As the Denver Broncos get ready for a Christmas Day with the Los Angeles Rams, all eyes are on head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his job security. Hackett was hired last January and handed nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to Seattle in a blockbuster trade.
Hackett’s hire, combined with Wilson’s arrival, created very high expectations around the Broncos, and in the first year as head coach, it’s safe to say that Hackett underdelivered. Several NFL insiders predict the Broncos will make another head coaching change at the end of the season.
The Broncos would likely only fire Hackett after a single season if the new Walton/Penner ownership group had a surefire upgrade to replace him. Some rumors point Dallas Cowboys Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as possible Hackett replacement, but the dream would be old New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
However, there would be some obstacles to overcome If the Broncos wanted to enter the Payton contest, including a lucrative offer for him and compensation for the Saints, who still own his rights following his “retirement” after the 2021 season. While the Walton/Penner Group has the resources to do Payton and the Saints, an offer they couldn’t refuse, a new fly snuck into the ointment.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefterwhen he returns to the NFL head coaching ranks, Payton envisions Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator.
Sean Payton is so interested in returning to coaching in the NFL that he is already building an all-star team that includes former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as a potential defensive coordinator. , league sources told ESPN.
Fangio, of course, served as Denver’s head coach from 2019-21 before general manager George Paton fired him nearly a year ago. It’s hard to imagine Fangio, who hasn’t coached this season, approving of a return to the NFL as an assistant to a team that fired him as head coach a year prior.
Schefter explained why Payton is determined to partner with Fangio.
Fangio is considered one of the best defensive minds in the game and should be in demand by more than Payton. But in an ideal world, Payton and Fangio would like to join forces in 2023 and provide a team with the attacking and defensive mindset it needs to form a top coaching duo.
Indeed, it’s possible that Fangio will find himself in the running for head coaching vacancies in the NFL, although I doubt it. What Schefter is referring to is the demand NFL teams will have for Fangio’s defensive acumen as a coordinator.
The rumor mill has been all over the NFL landing spots Payton has his eye on, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Ramsand Arizona Cardinals. All three teams have a veteran quarterback in place, though the Chargers and Cardinals have a younger flagger still nearing their cap. Payton’s landing with the Rams would depend on what Sean McVay ultimately chooses to do at the end of the season.
The Broncos haven’t been directly connected to Payton – aside from pure speculation. Payton is considered the top head coach candidate of the NFL’s 2023 hiring cycle, but if this news from Fangio is correct — and we have no reason not to believe it — it could put Denver out of the running. to the services of Payton.
The equalizer here would be the deep pockets of the NFL’s richest owner – Rob Walton. If Walton really wanted Payton, he could throw such a lucrative ransom on him that the Super Bowl-winning head coach could be persuaded to ditch Team Fangio and accept, say, the Broncos’ current defensive coordinator, Ejiro Evero, as a consolation.
There are three games left this season. Black Monday in Denver will be interesting, to say the least.
Payton’s overtures over Fangio could impact the Broncos’ decision on Hackett, especially if Denver finishes strong this season. Sitting at 4-10, many believe Hackett should win to save his job.
Everything will be known in due time.
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