You have to be careful not to have too many cooks in the kitchen, but every possible upgrade to the coaching staff should be considered when a Super Bowl is within reach. That is the situation the Denver Broncos are facing as they have moved on in the 2026 offseason from a couple of veteran names on the offensive coaching staff, promoting two promising young assistants to major roles.
Sean Payton fired longtime lieutenant Joe Lombardi, his offensive coordinator, in favor of prospective head coach candidate Davis Webb, who was previously the quarterbacks coach. The Broncos also lost Pete Carmichael from their staff, who previously held the role of "senior offensive assistant) after working as Sean Payton's OC in New Orleans from 2009 until he left the organization (post-Payton) in 2023.
The changes to the offensive staff have been substantial, and there is still plenty of room for another strong voice. And while there have been no reports connecting the Broncos to this name, in particular, but Kliff Kingsbury has significant ties to Denver's staff and could be a major asset to the offense -- and defense -- in 2026.
Broncos should consider hiring Kliff Kingsbury as an offensive assistant for 2026
The one job that could prevent Kliff Kingsbury from being a potential candidate to join the Denver Broncos' offensive staff at some point this offseason is the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator job. When Super Bowl LX is over, Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak is expected to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It could make some sense for Kingsbury to be holding out for that job when it becomes available, but if that's not in the cards, then the Broncos have multiple significant connections to potentially lure him to Denver in 2026.
And motivation to do so.
The two connections are new offensive coordinator Davis Webb and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Webb actually played for Kingsbury at Texas Tech and has significant ties to him in that way. Kingsbury had Joseph as his defensive coordinator in Arizona for four years while he was the head coach there.
So why should the Broncos add him to the staff? How would that not be too many cooks in the kitchen?
Kingsbury has been phenomenal in the quarterback development realm and can provide an important extra set of fresh eyes on Bo Nix's development heading into year three. The names Kingsbury has been assiciated with through the years are extremely impressive, from Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield to Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray. That doesn't even include guys like Webb, who has obviously become a legitimate head coach candidate.
The benefits of having Kingsbury for the offensive staff and game-planning are obvious, but he can also help the defensive staff. Kingsbury put together a game plan -- with a backup quarterback -- that embarrassed the Broncos' defense coming out of their bye week in a Monday night matchup this past season in Washington.
It was an impressive display of offense by the Commanders, and Kingsbury could shed some light on what types of adjustments Vance Joseph might need or want to make as the season rolls along, and offenses are attacking them differently.
It's not an essential move, but it would also benefit Kingsbury tremendously. We have seen so many Broncos assistants under Sean Payton getting looks from other teams as head coach candidates, and perhaps spending a year in Denver would enhance Kingsbury's chances of becoming a head coach again after the 2026 season.
With a number of departures on the offensive side of the ball, it could be a great, out-of-the-box way of thinking for Sean Payton and Davis Webb to bring in an experienced voice who would put his fresh eyes on an offensive operation that was maddeningly inconsistent last season.