Broncos' All-Pro Breaks Silence on Vance Joseph's Return as DC
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The Denver Broncos made some big moves this offseason, but one that really made waves was the hiring of Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator. Joseph, now aged 50, served as the Broncos' head coach from 2017 through 2018, where he won a total of 11 games.
Many Broncos fans recoiled at the notion of Joseph returning to Denver, even as an assistant under new head coach Sean Payton. However, what matters most is how the players perceived Joseph returning.
Two Broncos starters remain from Joseph's time as head coach — linebacker Josey Jewell and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. At the third annual March for Peace at the Boys & Girls Club in Montbello, Simmons told The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel how he really feels about Joseph's return.
“I love VJ. Love him. Obviously it was unfortunate the way the stint turned out when he was here as the head coach,” Simmons told Gabriel. “I’ve always loved him, especially as a person. He’s player driven. He’ll do anything for the guys on the team. Right now, it’s been cool for me seeing, I feel like, a different version of him. When you’re the head coach, you’ve got so much more on your plate and you can’t be around as much."
One of Joseph's selling points as a head-coaching candidate back in 2017 was his reputation as a 'leader of men.' While his players always spoke glowingly of 'VJ,' those leadership traits never translated to on-field success, unfortunately.
Fast forward to present day, the scope of Joseph's day-to-day responsibilities isn't as wide, which has allowed him to connect even more with the Broncos' players.
“For the past few weeks to be around him as the defensive coordinator, you can tell how much it means to him and how much he loves the players," Simmons told Gabriel. “It’s been cool to reconnect.”
Simmons became a starter under Joseph and was relied upon heavily, especially in 2018, to start at every position in the Broncos' defensive backfield. The young safety was spread thin, due to circumstances that year, and when Vic Fangio arrived the next season, he kept Simmons at free safety, and he blossomed into an All-Pro.
Although it'll take some time for Joseph to repolish his reputation in the Mile High City, it's important for fans to remember that if nothing else, he's a competent coordinator. And his players love him, which means they play very hard for him.
Hopefully, that translates to some wins this coming fall. Payton's arrival and impact on the Broncos' offense, though, will be the ultimate deciding factor on whether this team's fortunes change in 2023. Simmons says that Payton has been "all business" since arriving at Broncos HQ.
“Sean’s been great. Honestly, for him, he’s been there and done it and he’s very confident in what he can do and how he’s done it in the past,” Simmons told Gabriel. “So when you have that type of confidence and you can tell that what you do works, people just follow that lead. There hasn’t been that much that we’ve done yet — we’re getting ready to start practice and all that good stuff — but I’m just excited for the season.
“I’m excited to get the ball rolling. I’m excited to win.”
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