Broncos Fire HC Vic Fangio, Will Not Retain OC Pat Shurmur
The Broncos have fired head coach Vic Fangio, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Fangio lasted three seasons in his post but failed to get his club to the playoffs in that time, so GM George Paton felt compelled to make a move. Mike Klis of 9News.com reports (via Twitter) that the team will also part ways with OC Pat Shurmur.
Denver lost its 2021 finale to the Chiefs last night, and in his postgame presser, Fangio lamented the fact that the other three clubs in the AFC West boast a top-flight quarterback, something the Broncos did not have during his tenure. Denver did select Drew Lock in the second round of the 2019 draft, Fangio’s first as a head coach, and while Lock presently looks like another QB misstep in the John Elway-as-GM era, the inability of Fangio and his staff to develop the Missouri passer certainly contributed to Fangio’s demise.
Offensive ineptitude was, unfortunately, a hallmark of the Fangio regime. As Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post observes, the Broncos failed to score 20 points in a game 29 times in Fangio’s 49 games as head coach, and after a bottom-five showing in terms of both total offense and points per game in 2019, Fangio fired then-OC Rich Scangarello and replaced him with Shurmur, who had just been axed as head coach of the Giants.
The Broncos’ offensive output marginally improved during Shurmur’s time as OC, but it was simply not enough for either him or Fangio to keep their jobs (Shurmur’s contract was reportedly for two years, so Denver will simply let his deal expire). Fangio’s refusal to pull play-calling duties from Shurmur caused some locker room tension earlier this year, and while Shurmur was a hot offensive coordinator candidate before he accepted the post with the Broncos, his stock has likely dropped quite a bit.
Fangio, though, should land on his feet. We previously heard that the acclaimed defensive mind, who has served as DC of the Panthers, Colts, Texans, 49ers, and Bears, would be in high demand for a defensive coordinator position if he were to be fired by the Broncos, so he can probably expect a few interview requests in short order. The Broncos finished the 2021 campaign with a top-three defense in terms of points allowed per game.
Paton will have full authority to select the next head coach, as team president/CEO Joe Ellis confirmed in a statement. Paton’s reputation, along with the Broncos’ history and a roster that appears to be just a quarterback away from legitimate contention — something that Paton will try to rectify this offseason — should allow the club to attract any number of top-tier candidates. Albert Breer of SI.com identifies Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn as possible targets, and Quinn and Paton do have a history that dates back to their days with the Dolphins in 2005.
However, Paton may elect to move forward with an offensive-minded candidate, which could give the edge to Hackett or someone like Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich. Though the Broncos could be sold as soon as the spring (per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports), the imminent prospect of new ownership is not likely to deter candidates for the HC job.
Fangio’s statement on his dismissal can be found here, and Paton’s can be found here.
Field For AFC’s Top Seed Narrows
The Chiefs’ win tonight over the Broncos eliminated the razor-thin hopes that the Bengals and Patriots held for a first-round bye. With a Chiefs loss, the Bengals could have clinched the #1 Seed with a win over the Browns and a Titans loss to the Texans. The Patriots could have clinched with those three teams losing, a win over the Dolphins, and a Bills loss to the Jets. 
The Chiefs’ win ensures that they will finish with a top 2 seed, at the very least, with a chance to earn a first-round bye if the Titans lose tomorrow in Houston. Cincinnati, seeing the long odds required to get them a rest next week, had already made the decision to rest some of their starters this week in their regular season finale in Cleveland, despite the fact that seeding between them and the AFC East winner is still at play.
Tennessee is a 10.5-point favorite over the Texans, but the Titans are one of Houston’s four wins this year. Chaos could certainly ensue as we look to close out our first ever 18-week NFL regular season.
Latest On HC Vic Fangio’s Future With Broncos
We heard earlier this week that Vic Fangio‘s future with the Broncos was in doubt, and it sounds like the head coach will be hard press to keep his job. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and James Palmer report that “Fangio’s future remains up in the air” heading into tonight’s season finale against the Chiefs.
According to the report, Fangio met with general manager George Paton this week to discuss “his plans and make his case to stay for a fourth season as head coach.” Multiple sources believe the organization will ultimately fire their head coach, and at the very least, staff changes will be made. Fangio, a former defensive coordinator, has struggled to put together a capable offense during his three seasons in Denver, and the report from earlier this week was that Paton was hoping his head coach would put together a compelling plan for the future of the offense.
While Paton, who is finishing his first year on the job, didn’t hire Fangio, the two reportedly have a “strong relationship.” However, we heard earlier this week that team brass had internal discussions about the possibility of moving on from Fangio and has done background work on potential HC candidates. Further, Fangio’s refusal to pull play-calling duties from OC Pat Shurmur caused some locker room tension earlier this year (and potentially hurting his chances of retaining his job).
If Fangio does get the ax, he may not be without work for long. The 63-year-old defensive guru will be high atop the wish lists of clubs in need of a DC, especially if such a club hires a first-year, offensive-minded head coach. It was Fangio’s work as the Bears’ defensive coordinator that landed him the Broncos’ HC job to begin with. He also served in that capacity with the Panthers, Colts, Texans, and 49ers.
The Broncos have gone 19-29 during Fangio’s two-plus seasons at the helm.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/7/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from Practice Squad COVID-19 List: CB Kevin Peterson and S Javon Hagan
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on Practice Squad COVID-19 List: DE Joe Jackson
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: OT Quinn Bailey and WR Tyrie Cleveland
Washington Football Team
- Placed on Practice Squad COVID-19 List: DL David Bada
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/7/22
Today’s updates for the Reserve/COVID-19 list:
Denver Broncos
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: K Brandon McManus and P Sam Martin
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jaire Alexander
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Ambry Thomas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Shaquil Barrett
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/22
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: CB Patrick Surtain and CB Ronald Darby
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: OL Lucas Niang
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: WR Braxton Berrios
- Released from Non-Football Injury List: DE Vinny Curry
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: TE Tanner Hudson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/6/22
Here are the Thursday additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Dorian Etheridge
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on virus list: TE Nick Boyle, FB Patrick Ricard (Ravens placed Ricard on IR today)
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on virus list: CB Stephon Gilmore
Chicago Bears
- Placed on virus list: QB Justin Fields (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on virus list: DT Larry Ogunjobi
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on virus list: DT Malik Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on virus list: CB Anthony Brown, T Tyron Smith (story)
Denver Broncos
- Placed on practice squad virus list: DL Marquiss Spencer
Detroit Lions
- Activated from practice squad virus list: WR Geronimo Allison
Houston Texans
- Activated from virus list: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from virus list: OL Ben Bartch, CB Shaquill Griffin, LB Chapelle Russell
- Placed on virus list: OL Will Richardson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on virus list: LB Marquel Lee
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on virus list: CB Harrison Hand
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from virus list: TE Nick Vannett
- Placed on practice squad virus list: QB Blake Bortles
- Activated from practice squad virus list: LB Chase Hansen
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on virus list: C Kendrick Green, WR Diontae Johnson (story)
- Activated from practice squad virus list: DT Daniel Archibong
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from virus list: CB Sidney Jones, G Damien Lewis
- Placed on virus list: S Ryan Neal
NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22
Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Breon Borders, LB Markus Golden, OL D.J. Humphries, LB Devon Kennard
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Zach Kerr, LB Tanner Vallejo, TE Maxx Williams (from IR)
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Marlon Davidson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst, WR Tajae Sharpe, LB James Vaughters
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Willie Beavers
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Josh Oliver
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Kevin Toliver
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Darryl Johnson, LB Haason Reddick, TE Tommy Tremble, QB P.J. Walker
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jesper Horsted (remains on IR), OLB Charles Snowden
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trenton Irwin, DB Trae Waynes
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Scotty Washington
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Vonn Bell, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, DE Trey Hendrickson, C Trey Hopkins, G Quinton Spain, DT B.J. Hill, RB Joe Mixon
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Elijah Lee, LB Tony Fields
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens, S Tedric Thompson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB D’Ernest Johnson, RB Dexter Williams
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Jovante Moffatt
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Quinton Bohanna, LB Micah Parsons (story), LB Keanu Neal
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: S Tyler Coyle, T Isaac Alarcon, CB Kyron Brown
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Josh Ball
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DT Josiah Bronson
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE McTelvin Agim, LB Baron Browning, DB Bryce Callahan, LB Bradley Chubb, LB Jonathon Cooper, DB Mike Ford, WR Jerry Jeudy, T Bobby Massie, WR Tim Patrick, NT Mike Purcell, DB Caden Sterns, LB Stephen Weatherly
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland
Detroit Lions
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kalif Raymond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Joel Heath, TE Hunter Bryant (from NFI)
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Elgton Jenkins, T Dennis Kelly, S Darnell Savage, WR Amari Rodgers, DE Kingsley Keke
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K J.J. Molson, LB Ray Wilborn
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: G Billy Turner
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Danny Amendola, TE Antony Auclair, LB Ron’Dell Carter, T Tytus Howard, RB David Johnson, DB Lonnie Johnson, WR Chris Moore
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle, TE Paul Quessenberry
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: Luke Rhodes
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dan Arnold (remains on IR), TE Jacob Hollister, WR Jaydon Mickens, DT Jay Tufele
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: P J.K. Scott
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: DB Josh Jackson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Carl Nassib, G Jordan Simmons, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Kamaal Seymour (from NFI)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Nick Vigil, QB Kirk Cousins, T Brian O’Neill
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Chris Herndon, DE Tashawn Bower
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Parry Nickerson
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Ryan Ramczyk, DB Dylan Mabin
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Kevin White, TE Ethan Wolf
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Albert Huggins
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jordan Miller
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Korey Cunningham, DE Dexter Lawrence, T Matt Peart (remains on IR), NT Danny Shelton, WR Darius Slayton
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Omari Cobb, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: NT Woodrow Hamilton
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Tevin Coleman, TE Tyler Kroft, DE Quinnen Williams
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Isaiah Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR KeeSean Johnson
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR John Hightower, RB Craig James, TE Noah Togiai
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dallas Goedert
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Zach Banner, LB Devin Bush, DB Arthur Maulet, RB Anthony McFarland, LB Joe Schobert, DE Chris Wormley
- Restored from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Anthony Miller, WR Steven Sims, WR Tyler Vaughns
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Joe Haden
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Dontae Johnson, DB Jimmie Ward, DB Ambry Thomas, CB Deommodore Lenoir
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Blessuan Austin
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Gavin Heslop, DE Alton Robinson, DT Myles Adams, DT Al Woods
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaelon Darden, P Bradley Pinion
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Monty Rice
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Tress Way, G Ereck Flowers, RB Antonio Gibson
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Deshazor Everett, DB William Jackson
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/5/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DB Bashaud Breeland
- Released: DB Isaiah Johnson
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Jacques Patrick
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Jalen Julius
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Stanford Samuels
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: K Elliott Fry
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Mason Schreck
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Artavis Pierce
Denver Broncos
- Released: LB Pita Taumoepenu
Houston Texans
- Released: K Dominik Eberle, RB Darius Jackson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: RB B.J. Emmons
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Matt Bushman
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Warren Jackson
- Released: K Ryan Santoso, LS Carson Tinker
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Bryan Mills, G Cole Banwart
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Braxton Hoyett
New York Giants
- Released: T Isaiah Wilson
New York Jets
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: TE Daniel Brown
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: P Cameron Nizialek, K Sam Sloman
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Darqueze Dennard, RB Brian Hill
- Resleased: P Colby Wadman
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Ryan Izzo, DE Da’Shawn Hand
- Released: DB Shyheim Carter, DB Rodney Clemons, WR Golden Tate
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
- Released: QB Kyle Shurmur, P Ryan Winslow
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/5/22
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated for return: S James Wiggins
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE Parker Hesse
- Released: QB Matt Barkley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Steelers’ practice squad: DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
- Placed on IR: LT Cameron Erving, WR Terrace Marshall
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: TE Jesper Horsted
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: RB Dexter Williams
- Promoted: QB Nick Mullens
- Placed on IR: QB Baker Mayfield (story), LB Sione Takitaki
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: TE Blake Jarwin
- Placed on IR: WR Michael Gallup (story)
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: QB Teddy Bridgewater, DB Kareem Jackson, G Dalton Risner
- Released: OLB Pita Taumoepenu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return: C Josh Myers
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LB Will Compton, LB Justin March-Lillard (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: WR J.J. Koski
Miami Dolphins
- Designated for return: RB Patrick Laird
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: QB Kyle Sloter
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return: TE Garrett Griffin
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: LB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Promoted: DE Jabari Zuniga
San Francisco 49ers
- Designated for return: CB Emmanuel Moseley, WR Mohamed Sanu, S Tavon Wilson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated for return: G Aaron Stinnie
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Seahawks’ practice squad: TE Ryan Izzo
- Designated for return: RB Derrick Henry (story)
- Released: DB Chris Jones, LB Joseph Jones