For the last handful of years, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been strongly considered for head coaching gigs around the NFL. Joseph was a head coach with the Denver Broncos from 2017-18, but that has been his first and only opportunity up to this point.
And even if Joseph would say differently, everybody knows that opportunity was brutally unfair for him, in a variety of ways.
But now, it seems like Joseph is extremely likely to get a second chance to lead an NFL team as their head coach. While Joseph and the Broncos prepare for the postseason, he's able to take Zoom interviews during Denver's week off before the Divisional round. And Dan Quinn might have just gifted him an ace up his sleeve for his sales pitches.
Broncos DC Vance Joseph might have two coveted options to be his future OC
Sources: Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is leaving the organization to pursue other opportunities. Kingsbury and HC Dan Quinn met today, and agreed to mutually part ways. pic.twitter.com/vFMVEaZlg0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2026
Dan Quinn and the Commanders just made a rather surprising decision to let Kliff Kingsbury out the front door. Considering how awesome their offense had been when Jayden Daniels was healthy last year, and considering how good Kingsbury's track record is when he has talent to work with, what are the Commanders (and Dan Quinn) thinking?
The decision from Quinn to allow Kingsbury to walk could be to the benefit of Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Joseph might have two of the most coveted offensive coordinator candidates on the coaching staff and plan he's pitching to organizations. What Joseph brings to the table is obviously huge with his ability to coach a defense, develop players, and manage games, but make no mistake: Owners around the league are going to want to hear about your plan for the quarterback position.
Especially jobs that already have quarterbacks in place such as the Titans and Giants.
We're obviously making an assumption here, but the idea that Joseph could bring coveted Broncos assistant coach Davis Webb along with him as a defensive coordinator, or possibly his old pal Kliff Kingsbury? That's a pretty strong sales pitch either way.
Kingsbury was once Joseph's boss with the Arizona Cardinals when he was the head coach and Joseph was the defensive coordinator. Now, their roles as head coach and coordinator could be flipped. Again, this is all a hypothetical, but it would make a ton of sense.
Joseph could sell himself as the head coach and one of these two guys as an offensive coordinator, and that would be extremely compelling to teams right now in a head coach market that is largely thought to be underwhelming overall.
Joseph has ties to Giants GM Joe Schoen from their time together with the Miami Dolphins, and Kingsbury has ties to Tom Brady with the Raiders if you want to do a little dot connecting. If Joseph is able to pitch one of these two guys as his future offensive coordinator, he's almost guaranteed to land a job in this cycle. At least, one would think.