Broncos Interview Young Commanders Coach for OC Vacancy

The Broncos have interviewed two offensive coordinator candidates this week with some experience working with some of the NFL's best young quarterbacks.

Oct 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson before a game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos created an opening at offensive coordinator earlier this week after firing Joe Lombardi. The expectation is that pass game coordinator Davis Webb is the top candidate to replace Lombardi, but the Broncos also have to satisfy the Rooney Rule before filling a coordinator vacancy, which requires interviewing minority candidates.

The Broncos have interviewed Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry for the offensive coordinator vacancy. Jordan Schultz reported on Friday that the Broncos also interviewed Washington Commanders offensive pass game coordinator and assistant head coach Brian Johnson.

"Sources: The Broncos requested permission and have now interviewed Commanders assistant HC and offensive passing game coordinator Brian Johnson for their open OC position. Johnson was the Eagles OC during the 2023 season," Schultz posted on X.

Johnson's Resume

Johnson is an interesting young coach. The 38-year-old former Utah Utes quarterback has coached in the NFL since 2020, spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Commanders, as Schultz pointed out.

Johnson was the quarterback of the last Utah Utes team to go undefeated, vanquishing the heavily favored Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. He passed for 336 yards and three touchdowns in that massive game.

As an NFL coach, Johnson has contributed to the success of two excellent young quarterbacks in Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts and Washington's Jayden Daniels. Remember, though: the Broncos had to request permission to interview Johnson because he's currently under contract with the Commanders.

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Webb is Inevitable

August 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos offensive pass game coordinator Davis Webb before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Webb — who interviewed for several head-coaching jobs since the season ended — withdrew his name from consideration for the Las Vegas Raiders' vacancy. If Sean Payton wants to prevent Webb from being hired away as an offensive coordinator elsewhere, he'll have to promote him to the position in Denver.

That's what we expect to happen. Other coaching dominoes have fallen this week, too. The Broncos fired wide receivers coach Keary Colbert and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch, so those two positions will need to be filled.

On Friday, the Buffalo Bills hired away Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael to serve as offensive coordinator under their new head coach Joe Brady. That's a tough loss for Payton, as Carmichael has been one of his trusted lieutenants dating back to 2006 in New Orleans, with the exceptions being the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Don't Worry About Bo

Many Broncos fans worry about how this coaching upheaval will affect quarterback Bo Nix entering Year 3. However, with Payton and Webb as the top two offensive coaches guiding Nix, he won't skip a beat.

If/when Webb is promoted to offensive coordinator, the Broncos will also have to fill the quarterbacks coach job, because he also holds that position, along with being the pass game coordinator. That's where Curry could come into the picture, as he served in that exact role under Payton in New Orleans in 2021 and now has a lot of experience with quarterbacks.

The Broncos are the epitome of a stable franchise now that they've found their long-term head coach and quarterback of the future. Under Nix and Payton, the Broncos have won 25 games (counting playoffs) over the past two years, and that level of success makes their coaching staff a target.

Other teams want a piece of what the Broncos are building, so retaining coaches will always be a challenge when the offseason rolls around. It's the mark of a quality franchise.

When the time comes for Webb to accept a bigger opportunity elsewhere, it still won't be cause to worry about Nix because Payton is the constant. As his head coach and play-caller, Payton will always be the most important component to sustaining Nix's and the Broncos' success.