After the Denver Broncos returned to the playoffs last season, their coaching staff and front office were raided by outside teams. The Broncos must prepare for that once again, as they sit atop the NFL with a 9-2 record, and teams will assuredly be looking to pull from Sean Payton’s staff once again.
In a recent article, NFL.com's Tom Pelissero highlighted a list of young options around the league who've never been head coaches for the upcoming hiring cycle, including a few Broncos assistants, and even last year's tight ends coach Declan Doyle, who was lured away by the Chicago Bears back in January to be an offensive coordinator.
Pelissero specifically highlighted Webb, who generated modest interest in head-coaching and offensive coordinator roles this past offseason. Webb stayed in Denver for the year, with a slight promotion to pass game coordinator, in addition to his responsibilities coaching the quarterbacks.
"He always planned for a future in coaching. He's been on the fast track since Sean Payton hired him as quarterbacks coach in 2023 and was promoted this year. Payton even let Webb call plays in the second preseason game -- one in which a group of mostly second-stringers put up 24 points in the first half against Arizona," Pelissero wrote. "Those who know Webb believe it's a matter of when, not if, he becomes an NFL head coach. Even with Denver's offense up and down, the Broncos are 9-2, and Webb's first look could come this January."
Unfortunately, a pass game coordinator cannot be blocked for an offensive coordinator job, so that doesn’t provide any protection to the Broncos against teams looking to hire Webb away after this season. It's worth noting that the same applies to the assistant head coach. More on that shortly.
Webb is still young, and Payton gave him some opportunities to call the plays in preseason Game 2, and he did well, though it was exhibition action. If the Broncos want to keep Webb in Denver and prevent other teams from hiring him away without relying on him to turn down these jobs, they would have to make him offensive coordinator, which would mean firing, demoting, or changing Joe Lombardi's title.
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Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and head coach Sean Payton.
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 28: Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton look on during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 28, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. / Michael Allio / Imago / Icon Sportswire
Now, the Broncos' top hiring candidate wasn’t mentioned because he doesn't meet the criteria of being under 45 years old, and he's been a head coach before.
However, Joseph is expected to land a head-coaching gig during the 2026 hiring cycle. He has grown from his first time as a head coach in Denver, and the way he has this defense performing, even without Patrick Surtain II, is only helping his chances of being hired away.
Teams with good defensive fronts will likely be extremely intrigued by Joseph because of what he has done with the Broncos' front, his ability to generate pressure from anywhere, and the brilliance of his simulated pressures. A team like the New York Giants makes a lot of sense, as they have the pieces on offense that he couldn’t get in Denver.
While Webb got more than a mention in Pelissero’s article, other coaches on the Broncos' staff were also highlighted. These assistants may still be a year or two out, unless teams think they have something in them, like the Bears did with Doyle or the Detroit Lions did with John Morton, who was Denver's pass game coordinator last year.
Zach Strief | Run Game Coordinator | OL | Assistant HC
Denver Broncos offensive run game coordinator Zach Strief before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos offensive run game coordinator Zach Strief before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The possible surprise hire could be Broncos' run game coordinator and offensive line coach, Zach Strief. Teams have had great success by promoting offensive line coaches to offensive coordinator, with Klayton Adams of the Dallas Cowboys being the latest example. Last year, Adams was with the Arizona Cardinals, who boasted a top-10 offensive line, but are bottom-10 this year, while Adams, despite being the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, helped take Dallas' O-line from bottom-10 last year to top-five this year.
Now, Adams was hired under Brian Schottenheimer, an offense-minded head coach, so that could be the path Strief takes as well. Denver gave him additional responsibilities this year as the run game coordinator and assistant head coach, but neither title can prevent other teams from hiring him as an offensive coordinator.
The Broncos could be stuck in a position of choosing whether they want to keep Webb or Strief after this season, or even losing both if they don’t make a change at offensive coordinator and stick with Lombardi. This could be fierce, as the connection between Bo Nix and Webb is excellent. Still, teams have had a harder time replacing offensive line coaches than quarterback coaches, especially over the last 10 years.
Lou Ayeni | RBs Coach
Ayeni was one of those coaches mentioned by Pelissero, and his body of work is solid. A team could look at Ayeni and be willing to give him a shot as an offensive coordinator, especially if they hire an offense-minded head coach to help provide Ayeni more experience, but that's likely a year or two out.
Jim Leonhard | Defensive Pass Game Coordinator | DBs
The only Broncos defensive coach named by Pelissero was Jim Leonhard, the defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Leonhard is also viewed as the favorite to take over as Denver's defensive coordinator if or when Joseph gets a head-coaching job.
Even though they aren’t mentioned for one reason or another, three other Broncos defensive coaches could be a hit name this year or next for defensive coordinator jobs, given how their units have been performing this season. Highly impactful units put position coaches on the radar.
Jamar Cain | DL Coach
Denver Broncos defensive line coach Jamar Cain before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos defensive line coach Jamar Cain before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Cain doesn’t have to explain why he's likely on teams' radar for a defensive coordinator position, and missed out on being in Pelissero’s article likely due to age (he's 45). The Broncos boast a top-five, at the very least, defensive line/front in the NFL, and Cain has been huge in developing and growing many of the players who make it tick.
Jeff Schmedding | LBs Coach
Schmedding has done a great job this year in helping Justin Strnad elevate his play, even from last year, to where he looks like a legit starter. Schmedding has had to deal with a rotation at linebacker due to injuries and a suspension, but the position has become a strength for the Broncos during their ongoing eight-game win streak.
Isaac Shewmaker | LB Assistant
Finally, there is Shewmaker, who is still, most likely, two or three years away from consideration as a defensive coordinator, but he has an auspicious future. Shewmaker has been helping Schmedding with the linebackers, and also plays into what the unit has done. While it is unlikely Shewmaker gets hired away this offseason, he's one to keep an eye on going forward.
Ultimately, this is the cost of winning for the Broncos. It was no different during the Peyton Manning era, with guys like Mike McCoy, Jack Del Rio, and Adam Gase being hired away. Teams that win a lot of games have their coaching staff pillaged by other teams, which puts the pressure on Payton and company to make sure they have their replacement targets dialed in.
Coaching goes a long way, and if the Broncos lose the wrong coach and the replacement isn’t up to snuff, it can lead to a disaster.
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