Chris Harris, Jr. Sounds Off on Broncos Hiring Vance Joseph Again

When Vance Joseph was fired as head coach of the Denver Broncos back in January of 2019, he landed on his feet with the Arizona Cardinals as defensive coordinator, where he spent the last four seasons.

Then the wheels fell off the wagon in Arizona, and Joseph ran out of road in the desert. The Cardinals hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach. Where Joseph would land next was anybody's guess, but returning to the Broncos seemed highly improbable until Sean Payton called.

While opinions will vary on Payton's decision to hire the 50-year-old as his defensive coordinator, it shows that history quickly fades away when a former Super Bowl-winning head coach picks up the phone.

Only two players remain from Joseph's last defense in Denver. Linebacker Josey Jewell and safety Justin Simmons are all that is left, but they will prove crucial.

One of the players who has now moved on is former Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris, Jr., who was part of the fracturing locker room that Joseph presided over for a pair of seasons. Mile High Sports' radio host Eric Goodman reached out to Harris after the news broke about Joseph's hire, and somewhat surprisingly, he lavished praise on his ex-head coach.

"I always liked him," Harris said via Goodman. "[Patrick] Surtain [will] love him and play great under him. He'll be great for what they need, and he'll give DBs a chance to make plays. If he does well, he'll get a chance to be a [head coach] again."

Just got off the phone with @ChrisHarrisJr on #Broncos hiring Vance Joseph..

"I always liked him. Surtain w/love him and play great under him. He'll be great for what they need and he'll give DB's a chance to make plays. If he does well, he'll get a chance to be a H.C again."
— Eric Goodman (@EricGoodman) February 23, 2023

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Part of what the future Ring-of-Famer said to Goodman is particularly telling, especially as it relates to how Joseph can unleash the talents of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II. One look at the Broncos' roster and one can see that Surtain is a unique difference-maker in the quarterback-heavy AFC West.

Joseph's history is inescapably linked to his past successes coaching defensive backs. After all, how well he undertook that task with the Cincinnati Bengals is what stoked the Broncos' interest in hiring him. That, and Joseph's history as a Gary Kubiak assistant in Houston.

Giving Surtain more opportunities to create turnovers has been challenging for the Broncos during his first two seasons. All too often, teams playing with a lead have left the 22-year-old alone on his island and thrown away from him. How Joseph plans to scheme up exotic coverages and pressure packages will have been discussed with Payton before the latter opted to make his hire official.

Ultimately, choosing to look ahead proved more exciting and compelling to all the parties involved. Joseph's failed tenure in Denver was seemingly washed away on a wave of optimism created by coach Payton. For now, at least.

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