Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is nothing if not forward-thinking. Although there's not a tinfoil hat theory needed for every move the team makes, there are definitely certain moves that make you wonder if there might just be one eye on the future.
Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reported on Monday that the Broncos were adding longtime NFL assistant coach Chris Morgan to their staff as an assistant offensive line coach. It's a return to the state of Colorado for Morgan who played college ball for the CU Buffs back in the 90s.
Per source, former CU Buffs OG Chris "Spanky" Morgan is expected to be Broncos new assistant O-line coach. Morgan played for Neuheisel/Barnett for Buffs 1995-99.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) February 24, 2025
Morgan was #Bears O-Line coach past 3 years, run-game coordinator in 2024. Broncos his 7th NFL team as coach. #9sports
But could the Broncos also be preparing to potentially lose current offensive line coach Zach Strief at some point in the near future?
Broncos could be preparing to lose Zach Strief in the future with Chris Morgan hire
Again, not everything requires a tinfoil hat theory, but Zach Strief is one of the Denver Broncos' top assistants and although we don't know this for a fact, you can't help but wonder if the Broncos had to block a lot of calls about other coaches around the league wanting Strief. It's very possible after the exodus of coaches we saw in 2025 that the Broncos could again be looking at the possibility of losing more in 2026, and Strief would likely be near the top of the list.
Heck, there could even be some potential interest in Strief as an offensive coordinator in the event that someone like Vance Joseph would get a head coaching gig. You never know.
Whatever the title might be, the network of people who used to work for the Broncos is growing all over the league right now. When a network grows like that, people oftentimes hire who they know. We already have seen that in a big way with Sean Payton bringing so many former Saints with him to Denver and one of the assistants he poached from the Saints was Strief.
Bringing in an experienced coach like Chris Morgan definitely helps the Broncos now, but it can also help them tremendously in the future if they do end up losing Strief. The offensive line for Denver has been tremendous over the last two seasons and Strief has obviously been the one overseeing it all.
Strief, for his part, has helped a handful of guys get paid some pretty big money. Lloyd Cushenberry III completely rehabbed his value in his first year under Strief. Quinn Meinerz got the biggest deal for a guard in Broncos history. Garett Bolles got an extension.
There's a lot of money going around with the Broncos' offensive line these days and Strief is undoubtedly going to get recognized for that. As much as the Broncos want to keep him around, you have to be prepared for a variety of situations.