Broncos' Vic Fangio Given Best Odds to Be First NFL Coach Fired in 2021
After compiling a 12-20 record over his first two seasons as head coach of the Denver Broncos, the oddsmakers don't like Vic Fangio's chances of keeping his job beyond 2021.
Vegas has given Fangio 5-to-1 odds of being the first head coach to get fired next season, which leads all comers with the Chicago Bears' Matt Nagy (6-to-1) and the Minnesota Vikings' Mike Zimmer at (8-to-1) the next most-likely to be sacked.
The pressure to win will only intensify for the 62-year-old Fangio as he heads into Year 3 in Denver. The head coach will now be reporting to George Paton, who has succeeded John Elway as Broncos GM. It's put-up or shut-up time for Fangio.
Since even before Paton was hired, though, the Broncos organization has stressed the importance of stability within the coaching ranks and continuity. Despite back-to-back losing campaigns, Fangio’s job has remained secure for those very reasons but Denver's long-suffering has a limit.
Fangio's precarious situation entering 2021 has made the quarterback rumor mill all the more alluring for Denver. Under the pressure to win now (or else), it comes as no surprise to see the Broncos linked heavily to every veteran quarterback even rumored to be on the move, such as Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, and even Russell Wilson.
This speculation has only intensified the doubts surrounding incumbent starter Drew Lock, clouding his future in Denver. The ripple effect of Paton even dabbling in the veteran QB market will likely be left on Fangio’s doorstep to clean up, if the Broncos pass on (or miss on) a blockbuster trade. Exposed as players in that market, Paton and Fangio won't be able to put that toothpaste back in the tube.
Nothing short of winning and turning the ship around will ensure that Fangio survives 2021 as head coach. Notching nine wins, at least, in a stacked AFC West is the bare minimum of achievement if Fangio hopes to keep his job in Denver.
Fangio is an obvious choice to sit atop the oddsmakers' list of hot-seat head coaches, especially considering his utter lack of success since getting the Broncos' job. In the case of Nagy and Zimmer, though, each has at least two playoff berths on his head-coaching resume.
Fangio can't even boast a winning season. Perhaps because of that distinction, the seat of the Broncos' head coach is justifiably the hottest entering the 2021 campaign.
If the Broncos struggle in the first quarter of the season yet again (Fangio is 1-8 as head coach in Weeks 1-4), or flounder at all, a midseason firing will be near fait accompli.
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