Joe Amon/Getty
Broncos Fire QBs Coach T.C. McCartney as Shurmur Takes Over Offense: Report
Less than 24 hours removed from Pat Shurmur being announced as the new offensive coordinator, the Denver Broncos have further shaken up the coaching staff. Quarterbacks Coach T.C. McCartney has been fired, per KOA insider Benjamin Allbright.
The move comes as no surprise, as most coordinators like to hand-pick certain positions on the offensive coaching staff, especially the QBs Coach. Shurmur could look to add Mike Shula, who served as Shurmur's offensive coordinator and QBs Coach in New York the last two years.
McCartney joined the Broncos one year ago, following Rich Scangarello from the San Francisco 49ers. McCartney helped Brandon Allen prepare to unexpectedly start three games in 2019, while coaching Drew Lock through his massive rookie learning curve.
Lock's 4-1 record down the stretch, and the solid numbers he put up, are a credit to McCartney. It's unfortunate that he'll be sent packing but it's simply the nature of the NFL game.
The move to fire McCartney removes arguably the most directly influential coach in Lock's professional career, which is a risk. But the Broncos believe that Shurmur's touch will have a galvanizing effect on the young quarterback, putting him in better position to take a quantum leap forward in his second year.
Shula, the son of Hall-of-Fame head coach Don Shula, recently interviewed with the Giants for their OC vacancy. It will be interesting to see if he takes a position-coach job or seeks to maintain his coordinator level that he's had in each of his NFL stops dating back to 2013 with Carolina.
It was Shula who coordinated that dynamic Panthers offense that saw Cam Newton post 50 total touchdowns in 2015 and make it to Super Bowl 50. Shula did a phenomenal job with Newton and Giants' rookie Daniel Jones last year. Imagine him teamed up with Lock.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
