4 Rumors Swirling Around Broncos' Potential Head-Coaching Vacancy

As the end of the season nears, rumors are swirling around the Broncos' head-coaching situation.

Most Denver Broncos fans want a change at head coach, and with the new NFL rules regarding the hiring process, some are disappointed that GM George Paton isn't taking advantage of that. However, even if fans don't want to accept it, we've known for some time that there wouldn't be a coaching change in-season for multiple reasons, but the fact that nothing has happened with Vic Fangio is only creating more rumors. 

With all these rumors flying, it can be nice for fans to have them all in one place. I'm going to touch on four in this article but there are more. However, the ones I'll highlight today appear to have some fire at the base of the smoke. 

Fangio Staying?

With Denver not taking advantage of the new rules that allow teams to interview prospective head-coaching candidates in-season, some interpret that to mean that Paton plans to keep Fangio around for next year. Part of the reason for this is the uncertainty of the ownership situation in Denver. 

That's the genesis of this particular rumor. However, there are plenty of flaws to it. 

While Denver could keep Fangio, not making the change now isn't any proof of Paton having such an intention. When Paton was hired, he purportedly gave Fangio the entire season to do his job, and firing him now, with no real interim option, would do nothing to potentially better the team. 

Adding in the fact that Denver is essentially out of the playoffs, it explains why no change is coming until the end of the season. When a coach gets fired during the season, it's typically under extreme circumstances. 

Josh McDaniels, Urban Meyer, and Jon Gruden are prime examples. Even Quinn is an example of that when the Atlanta Falcons fired him as head coach as the general manager only kept him because players vouched for him. Unfortunately, Quinn's firing didn't change anything for Atlanta and the GM was later dismissed. 

As for the Broncos' ownership situation, it's a moot point. It won't be resolved for a few months yet (looking at March or April at the earliest). Paton can't sit on his hands, afraid to make changes because of that, and if he does, it could cost him his job when a new owner comes in. 

Fangio may end up keeping his job, but rumors claiming it's a certainty are a bit premature. Such a decision would have to come with significant changes to his coaching staff if he does.

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Nathaniel Hackett | Green Bay Packers OC

NBC Sports' Peter King kicked the hornets' nest by advocating for a Broncos-Packers trade involving Aaron Rodgers and Jerry Jeudy, punctuated by a free-agent signing of wideout Davante Adams in 2022. The genesis of that rumor started with King projecting Denver to hire Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as head coach. 

If Denver is interested in Rodgers, which has been widely reported, hiring his current offensive coordinator could help draw him to Mile High. Hackett is deserving of head coach consideration because of what he has done with other quarterbacks besides Rodgers. 

In his second year as Jacksonville's offensive coordinator, Hackett helped guide the team to a 10-6 record and the AFC Conference Championship game. It was the best season of Blake Bortles' career. 

Having familiarity with Rodgers is also nice, but for those wanting a younger offensive mind, Hackett is currently 42 years old. If Denver were to hire Hackett for the head coach and trade for Rodgers, it would be a huge boost for the offense over the past few years. 

With a first-year head coach, though, Denver would need experience around him. Maybe someone like Minnesota Vikings' current head coach Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator and ex-Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson as the offensive coordinator would give plenty of experience around Hackett to help make his job more manageable. 

Dan Quinn | Dallas Cowboys DC

Denver's purported interest in Quinn has been circulating for a while, but the latest update is that he turned down an interview with the Jaguars. It's possible Quinn turned it down because he didn't find the job appealing, but having a potential franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence should be plenty alluring for a defensive-minded head coach. Moreover, it helps take the pressure off. 

The reasonable explanation is that Quinn has only a head-coaching gig or two in mind, and if he doesn't get them, he wants to stay as a defensive coordinator in Dallas. There's a good chance that the Denver job is one of them as Quinn has sought to work with Paton before as a general manager/head coach duo. 

Mike Zimmer | Minnesota Vikings HC

Sometimes in the NFL, it isn't about what you do but who you know, and Paton knows Zimmer. Zimmer has a prolific history of being a great defensive coordinator.

Denver could have a job opening at head coach and Zimmer could fill that. Hiring Zimmer as the defensive coordinator under a different head-coaching hire (as discussed in the Hackett rumor) wouldn't be a bad idea with his history as an assistant, so depending on the conditions, it wouldn't be the worst development for the Broncos. 

Zimmer was once viewed as a defensive genius, and there are pieces in Denver to adjust to Zimmer's scheme, and hiring him wouldn't create more holes as Denver needs edge rusher and interior defensive line help no matter what happens with the scheme. 

If the Broncos were to hire Hackett as head coach and pair him with Zimmer, that's a tandem the fan base should be excited about with. 

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