Latest On Broncos’ HC Search
Barring the team needing to move to second-tier candidates, it does not appear the Broncos’ new ownership contingent wants to put a first-timer in charge. The team continues to be connected to experienced candidates, Albert Breer of SI.com notes.
Denver tried rookie HCs Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Nathaniel Hackett since 2017; the team has finished under .500 in each campaign. The Broncos entered Joseph’s debut without having finished with back-to-back losing seasons since the early 1970s. The team’s new ownership has some big names on its docket to attempt a turnaround.
Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton are indeed atop the Broncos’ wish list, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. The popular duo may receive more than one offer, and this disastrous season has dinged Denver’s stock. The team has been connected to each throughout this process, and it is moving forward with plans to interview Harbaugh. The Panthers have already spoken with the Michigan HC, however, and the Colts have been linked to a run at bringing the former QB back to Indianapolis. Pursuits of Harbaugh and Payton will be competitive, and both are likely to be choosey.
Should the Rob Walton-fronted ownership group not land its home run hire, Klis adds Dan Quinn should probably be considered next on the team’s list. Quinn has a longstanding relationship with GM George Paton, dating back to when the two worked with the Dolphins in the mid-2000s. The Dallas DC, however, was a finalist for the Denver job last year. It would be interesting to see if Quinn would go through another round of Broncos interviews, considering the team hired Hackett — now one of just three coaches since the 1970 merger to be fired before the end of their first season — over him.
The other name initially connected to the Broncos — Frank Reich — may not be in the running any longer, Klis adds. This would represent a quick trigger from the team’s new search committee, which is headed by CEO Greg Penner, considering interviews have not yet begun. Reich wants to be a head coach in 2023 and is a respected offensive mind, but he does not appear to be especially high on the Broncos’ early list. It will be interesting to see if this changes, depending on how the Harbaugh and/or Payton pursuits go.
The next Broncos HC, who will report directly to Penner, should be expected to be given full autonomy to assemble his staff. This would put Ejiro Evero on unsteady terrain. A holdover coordinator might be a tad unrealistic, but in the event the Broncos prioritize defensive continuity, Klis adds Evero’s contract runs beyond 2022. Paton said the team wishes to interview Evero, despite his close relationship with Hackett leading him to turn down the team’s offer.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: RB Marlon Mack, G Dalton Risner (story)
- Promoted: CB Ja’Quan McMillian, G William Sherman
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from practice squad: RB Jake Funk
- Waived: RB Jordan Wilkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DT Akeem Spence
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: LB Jordyn Brooks (story)
- Signed from practice squad: TE Tyler Mabry
Broncos Place G Dalton Risner On IR; Sides Have Not Discussed Deal
The Packers extending Elgton Jenkins removed the top would-be free agent guard from the 2023 equation, but the Broncos have not made their intentions clear with one of the other proven guards on track to hit the market.
Dalton Risner may have already played his final game with his home-state team. The Broncos placed the fourth-year guard on IR on Tuesday. Risner suffered a UCL sprain in his left elbow, per 9News’ Mike Klis (on Twitter). He is not believed to need surgery, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets.
Not needing surgery represents good news for Risner’s chances of scoring a nice payday in 2023. The next contract might not come from the Broncos, Klis offers, and Renck adds no talks have taken place between the team and the Colorado native. Risner has stayed healthy for most of his career; Sunday will only be his fourth missed game as a pro.
Chosen 41st overall during a 2019 draft in which the Broncos also made the No. 42 overall choice (Drew Lock), Risner has started every game he has played. The Kansas State product has been one of the most consistent parts of an injury-riddled Broncos O-line, which has played most of the season without left tackle Garett Bolles and has lined up without right tackle Billy Turner and center Lloyd Cushenberry for much of the campaign. The Broncos have allowed an NFL-high 61 sacks this season.
Risner was part of an O-line that helped Phillip Lindsay to a 1,000-yard season in 2019. Pro Football Focus gave the former Day 2 pick his best career grade in 2021, when Javonte Williams showed tremendous promise as a rookie. PFF slots Risner outside the top 40 this season at the position while tabbing 2021 third-rounder Quinn Meinerz as a top-five guard. While Meinerz is not eligible for an extension until 2024, the current regime did draft the former Division III guard. Risner arrived in Denver during John Elway‘s GM run. Considering the trouble the Broncos have experienced up front this season, it would not surprise if their 2023 line looks considerably different.
In order for the Broncos to retain Risner, a midlevel guard payment — at least — will be required. Risner joins Nate Davis, Isaac Seumalo, Will Hernandez, Ben Powers and Connor McGovern as veteran starters available at guard. Davis joins Risner in finishing the season on IR.
Broncos Interested In Interviewing Jim Harbaugh For HC Vacancy
Jim Harbaugh continues to garner plenty of attention in the build-up to the 2023 NFL head coaching cycle. Not long after a connection between he and the Broncos was reported, the two are set to be linked even further. 
[RELATED: Broncos To Be “Ultra Aggressive” In HC Search]
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Denver has reached out to Harbaugh to confirm their intent to interview him for their vacancy. The role opened up after rookie bench boss Nathaniel Hackett was fired with just two games remaining in the season, one in which the Broncos have fallen well short of expectations. A number of experienced names have been floated as potential replacements, with the widespread expectation that a veteran coach will get the job.
Harbaugh has been included amongst those potential candidates, alongside the likes of Frank Reich and Dan Quinn. The current Michigan coach has ties with Broncos consultant John Elway as well as minority owner Condoleezza Rice dating back to their time spent at Stanford. Harbaugh was first mentioned in connection to the Broncos HC role just prior to Hackett’s dismissal, so their formal interest comes as no surprise.
Harbaugh has been included in speculation about the Colts’ opening, given his time spent with the team as a player and his relationship with owner Jim Irsay. The Broncos’ desire to at least interview the 59-year-old adds further to the interest shown in him this season, suggesting a return to the NFL could be in the cards. Harbaugh last coached the 49ers in 2014.
That tenure was immediately followed by his stint in Ann Arbor, which continues to this day. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff for the second straight season this year, a sign of the program’s recent success. That positive momentum was halted yesterday during Michigan’s upset loss to TCU, but it nevertheless came as little surprise when Harbaugh announced his commitment to remain with the school in 2023.
Still, he has mentioned his sense of ‘unfinished business’ with respect to winning a Super Bowl, and a relatively small buyout would be required to terminate his Michigan contract. Given the spending power of the Broncos’ new ownership group, finances will not be an issue if they are serious in seeing through Harbaugh’s potential return to an NFL sideline.
Broncos Prepared To Be “Ultra Aggressive” In HC Search
Having fired Nathaniel Hackett before the rookie head coach could finish his first year at the helm, the Broncos are finishing out their deeply disappointing 2022 campaign with Jerry Rosburg as interim HC. Unsurprisingly, it does not appear that Rosburg — who was pulled out of retirement earlier this year to assist Hackett with gameday management — is a candidate for the permanent head coaching gig.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes that the Broncos’ new Penner-Walton ownership group, which paid $4.65 billion to purchase the club last offseason, is prepared to do “whatever it takes” to land the head coach it wants and plans to be “ultra aggressive” in its pursuit. Of course, that presumably means that the cash-flush group will pony up a significant salary to entice a top-flight candidate, and in light of recent reports that Denver’s next head coach will report directly to ownership rather than GM George Paton, it appears the new sideline general could have considerable personnel power as well.
Schefter does not specify what candidates the club is targeting. Former Saints HC Sean Payton may be the most sought-after HC on the market, and if the Broncos are truly prepared to be “ultra aggressive,” they will not be deterred by the fact that they will need to complete a trade with New Orleans to acquire Payton’s rights and then give Payton a market-topping contract. However, Payton is reportedly uninterested in the Denver job.
Indeed, the team’s quarterback situation could deter other top candidates from considering the Broncos’ post. 2022 trade acquisition Russell Wilson, who was supposed to lead the team on a championship run, is one of this year’s worst quarterbacks, and Denver cannot escape his contract anytime soon. We previously heard that, in addition to Payton, names like Frank Reich, Jim Harbaugh, and Dan Quinn could also be on Denver’s shortlist, but an in-demand coach may not want to hitch his wagon to the Broncos right now (depending, perhaps, on just how generous ownership is willing to be in contract talks).
Speaking of Wilson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the 34-year-old passer is prepared to overhaul his entire offseason and in-season routine in an effort to get back to his previous level of performance. The faith that the Broncos’ potential interviewees have in Wilson’s ability to do that will likely dictate the success of the team’s upcoming HC search.
Broncos Place OLB Randy Gregory On IR
The injuries continue to pile up in Denver where the Broncos have added pass rusher Randy Gregory to their lengthy list of players on injured reserve. With the Broncos eliminated from postseason contention, the move brings Gregory’s first year in Denver to an end. 
After failing to generate much of a pass rush in 2021, the Broncos ventured out into free agency to bring in Gregory after his initial extension with the Cowboys fell through due to a disagreement over language about bonuses being affected by fines or suspensions in the contract. Instead, the 30-year-old pass rusher signed a five-year, $70MM contract to join the Broncos. His first year in Denver would be a bit of a disappointment, though, as knee injuries would limit Gregory to only six games. Starting three of those games, Gregory was able to compile two sacks, two tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Outside linebackers Bradley Chubb and Baron Browning held higher roles on the depth chart until Chubb was eventually traded to Miami.
Despite the disappointing debut in Mile High, Gregory will have next year to rebound and prove his worth to the Broncos. If similar absences due to injury or suspension continue into 2023, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to find Gregory as the subject of one of our posts detailing a potential salary cap casualty.
The Broncos also signed practice squad outside linebacker Jonathan Kongbo to the active roster today. Kongbo’s addition becomes even more crucial with Gregory on IR and Browning questionable this weekend with a back injury. Practice squad cornerback Lamar Jackson was also signed to the team’s active roster, providing depth as the team’s fifth corner.
Additionally, the Broncos promoted linebackers Wyatt Ray and Ray Wilborn from the practice squad as standard gameday elevations for Sunday’s matchup in Kansas City.
Broncos Place TE Greg Dulcich On IR
The Broncos’ thoroughly underwhelming passing offense will be shorthanded to close out the season. Tight end Greg Dulcich has been placed on IR, per a team announcement. 
The move officially ends his rookie campaign, one which was cut short by a lingering hamstring issue. The injury required an IR stint to begin the campaign, and delayed his NFL debut until Week 6; he re-aggravated it during the team’s disastrous Christmas Day loss to the Rams, which marked the final straw for head coach Nathaniel Hackett‘s tenure. In the 10 contests he played this year, the UCLA product had established himself as Denver’s top option at the position, logging a 75% snap share.
Dulcich quickly became one of Russell Wilson‘s preferred pass-catching options, receiving eight or more targets on four occasions this season. The third-rounder will end the year with a total of 33 receptions, 411 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Considering the fact that that total comes with seven missed games and within the league’s lowest-scoring offense, there will be plenty of optimism surrounding Dulcich moving forward.
His selection in this year’s draft came, of course, after 2019 first-rounder Noah Fant was included in the package Denver sent Seattle for Wilson. The latter move led to expectations for Albert Okwuegbunam to take on a more prominent pass-catching role. However, the 24-year-old has made only six appearances (and no starts) in 2022, and recorded just seven scoreless catches. That does not bode well for his prospects in 2023, the final year of his rookie contract.
Dulcich was one of only two Broncos players to record multiple touchdown catches during this lost season. The other – wideout Jerry Jeudy – is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. The latter is expected to be available, though, interim HC Jerry Rosburg said. With Dulcich sidelined, Denver will turn to Okwuegbunam and the likes of Eric Saubert, Eric Tomlinson and Andrew Beck at the tight end position for the next two weeks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/22
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league, including the Cowboys’ and Titans’ standard gameday elevations for the season’s last Thursday Night game:
Buffalo Bills
- Designated to return from IR: CB Christian Benford
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: C Brock Hoffman, RB Qadree Ollison
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Ravens practice squad: RB Tyler Badie
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: OLB Sam Okuayinonu, LB Andre Smith, RB Jonathan Ward
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Zack Johnson, DL Jayden Peevy
Badie is a rookie sixth-round pick that failed to make the Ravens initial 53-man roster. The 22-year-old had a breakout senior season at Mizzou that saw him rush for 1,604 yards and 14 touchdowns, adding 330 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, as well. After being waived in the team’s final roster cuts before the season, Badie signed to the Ravens practice squad, where he’s remained all season. Badie adds to the quantity of the Broncos’ room of running backs that currently holds Latavius Murray, Chase Edmonds, and Marlon Mack, as well as fullback Andrew Beck.
The three Titans’ signees are filling roster spots vacated by quarterback Ryan Tannehill and linebackers Bud Dupree and Zach Cunningham, all of whom were placed on injured reserve today.
Broncos HC Fallout: Penner, Paton, Payton, Hackett, Evero, Rosburg, Rypien, Risner
George Paton‘s status with the Broncos has taken some hits this week. Although the second-year GM is set to remain in his post, it appears the decisions to hire Nathaniel Hackett and trade for Russell Wilson have cost him.
New Broncos CEO Greg Penner is set to play a major role in the team’s next HC hire, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. With the Broncos still in the process of putting the team up for sale when they conducted the search that produced Hackett, Paton led the hiring process. Penner said he will rely on Paton during the team’s latest hiring effort, but with it being the new ownership’s first HC search, it should be expected the GM will not have final say.
Paton’s situation reminds somewhat of Joe Douglas‘ with the Jets, though the former has not been on the job as long. Douglas has rebuilt the Jets’ defense to the point the team is a playoff contender, and this year’s draft class has helped the team considerably. But the Zach Wilson investment has gone south fast. Paton passed on Justin Fields for burgeoning star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and landed high-end starters Javonte Williams and Quinn Meinerz in Rounds 2 and 3, while also adding outside linebacker Baron Browning on Day 2 of last year’s draft. Denver collected first- and fourth-round picks for Bradley Chubb at this year’s deadline, helping to fill the draft-capital void created by the Wilson trade. While several of Paton’s moves have worked out, the Wilson-Hackett partnership undercut them and has the former Vikings lieutenant on thinner ice.
It is not known if Paton or ownership pushed to have Wilson signed long-term before this season. Conversations ramped up once Penner arrived along with Rob Walton, and the team wanted to avoid waiting until 2023 to extend the QB. But the five-year, $245MM extension is off to a shockingly poor start. Penner announcing that the next HC will report to him and not Paton strips the latter’s power to the point Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits the next Broncos coach will have the chance to run the football operation. Paton, 52, has held that role since arriving last year.
The Broncos have experienced ups and downs with a coach running the show, going from Mike Shanahan in this role to the overmatched Josh McDaniels, who held de facto GM power upon being hired in 2009. Considering new ownership’s deep pockets and a potential offer to run football operations, the Broncos would present an intriguing opportunity for an experienced head coach. That is believed to be the direction Denver heads this time, after seeing first-time hires Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Hackett underwhelm.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great CEOs, and it starts with really strong leadership,” Penner said. “I think that’s going to be the most critical factor here in a head coach. Obviously the X’s and O’s are important, but we need a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning. That starts with culture, it’s instilling a sense of accountability, discipline, and we need an identity on offense. At the starting point, it’s got to be about culture and leadership, and those characteristics are what we’ve focused on the most.”
Frank Reich, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Sean Payton are believed to be on the early radar. The Broncos could make a strong run at Payton, Fowler adds, though it is not certain the former Saints HC is interested. Harbaugh has a relationship with Broncos consultant John Elway, who ran the team’s football ops for 10 years, and minority owner Condoleezza Rice due to each’s Stanford ties. Rice worked with Harbaugh during his time with the Cardinal, per Florio, adding an interesting wrinkle to the upcoming search.
As for the team’s current setup, interim HC Jerry Rosburg said (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter) DC Ejiro Evero declined the chance to be the interim option out of loyalty to Hackett. Evero and Hackett have been friends since they were college teammates at UC-Davis. The league has also shifted away from promoting interim coaches, with Doug Marrone being the most recent such hire back in 2017. The Broncos still want to interview Evero, though the first-time DC does not profile as an experienced candidate.
Rosburg, 67, also said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, on Twitter) it was his decision to fire special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Both were Hackett hires. Rosburg also confirmed it was Paton, not Hackett, who brought him out of retirement to be the team’s game management assistant. Hackett’s run of issues during the season’s first two weeks led to the hire. The sideline confrontation between Brett Rypien and Dalton Risner also contributed to the early Hackett dismissal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link), as it was a sign the first-year coach was losing the team. Penner said off-field matters led to the early firing. Randy Gregory, who threw a punch at Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi and faced a suspension, cited Hackett’s tenuous status as HC in his successful appeal to the league, Klis tweets.
Gregory, Aboushi Successfully Appeal Suspensions; Discipline Reduced To Fines
DECEMBER 27, 9:04pm: Appeals officers Derrick Brooks and James Thrash, both of whom were appointed jointly by the NFL and NFLPA, have reportedly assessed the appeal and reduced the discipline to both Gregory and Aboushi, according to NFL senior vice president of football & international communications Michael Signora. Both one-game suspensions have been reduced to fines of $50,000 for Gregory and $12,000 for Aboushi.
DECEMBER 27, 8:57am: Gregory is appealing the suspension, as noted (on Twitter) by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 30-year-old issued a statement which reads in part, “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for my actions yesterday. The game was full of emotion and disappointment, and was not a reflection of my character. My goal is to finish out the season strong, play with pride and be part of the solution and not the problem going forward.”
DECEMBER 26: Sunday marked a new rock bottom for the Broncos in terms of on-field performance, but their loss to the Rams also saw an altercation take place after the game between Denver edge rusher Randy Gregory and Los Angeles offensive lineman Oday Aboushi (video link). It has resulted in discipline from the league.
The NFL announced on Monday that both players have been issued a one-game suspension for their actions, which included each one punching the other. Gregory openly admitted as much during his brief postgame remarks made after Denver’s blowout loss – a result which has led to head coach Nathaniel Hackett being fired with two games remaining in his first season in the role.
In a letter sent to both players, NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan wrote, “As you were walking toward a group of teammates, coaches, and media, you both stopped and swung at each other’s head and/or neck. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”
Gregory played just 11 defensive snaps in the game, but drew a pair of flags for unsportsmanlike conduct, including one for a roughing the passer penalty. That could leave him in danger of further fines, in addition to the $57K in salary which he will lose assuming the ban is upheld.
Both players have the option to appeal their suspension, but each of their respective teams have long been out of playoff contention. With two weeks left in what has been a lost campaign for the Broncos and Rams, their absence or return will ultimately have little impact on the final contests of the 2022 season. Gregory is under contract through 2026 after he signed a $70MM deal this offseason, while Aboushi is a pending free agent who is playing on the veteran salary benefit this year.