ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — To his credit, Vic Fangio didn’t give the standard brush-off answer to questions about his impending job security.
The Denver Broncos coach started out that way, but then delivered a genuine, authentic response as he often does.
“For a lot of reasons I do not worry about it,’’ Fangio said via Zoom in his day-after-game news conference with the Denver media Monday. “Those reasons are personal to me. But do I acknowledge that it’s certainly out there, could happen? Absolutely. But do I worry about it? I absolutely do not worry about it for many, many reasons.”
Fangio added he believes he and his staff deserve a fourth season and he’d even be willing to work the fourth and final year of his contract without an extension.
“Absolutely. That’s the direct, short answer there, absolutely,’’ Fangio said.
Which is potentially newsworthy because most coaches do not feel they can properly command from a “lame-duck” contract position. And team executives don’t feel comfortable going into a season with a head coach who is not fully empowered. While Fangio’s gesture is noble, it’s unlikely the Broncos’ brass would bring him back without giving him at least a one-year contract extension.
Then again, the Broncos are in the unusual position where they are changing ownership control this offseason.
It will be Broncos’ Chief Executive Officer and President Joe Ellis and General Manager George Paton who will make the call on Fangio and his coaching staff after the season, which most likely will come the evening of January 9, when Denver hosts the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos have gone 7-9, 5-11 and now 7-8 with two games to play in Fangio’s three seasons as head coach.
Back-to-back losses to the Bengals at home and Sunday at Las Vegas put a dent in Fangio’s job security. However, a complicating factor is Fangio also serves as the Broncos’ defensive play-caller and schemer. And the Denver D is tied with New England for first in scoring defense at 17.3 points a game. The Denver D is also number six in yards allowed at 320.9 yards per game.
The offense, however, ranks 23rd in scoring at 19.9 points per game and 19th with 329.0 yards per game. The Broncos ranked 28th in scoring offense (20.2 points) per game last year, when Pat Shurmur took over as offensive coordinator.
Fangio’s defensive expertise was the primary reason why Broncos’ then-General Manager John Elway hired him to be head coach prior to the 2019 season. Keeping Fangio as defensive coordinator but replacing him as head coach is a move that is not unheard of at the community high school level but is not something seen in the NFL.
Fangio added his daily conversations with Paton are primarily kept to “the task at hand” regarding the roster and desire to improve the team each week. He reiterated his conviction that Paton is a great general manager.
Sources tell 9NEWS that Ellis and Paton have yet to make a fateful decision on their coaching staff. A further complication to Fangio’s status: The Broncos will change ownership control this offseason. Do Ellis and Paton want to give the new owner a new head coach with a four- or five-year contract? Would the new owner want to buy a team with multiyear commitment to a head coach he didn’t hire?
Meanwhile, it sounds as if Drew Lock will get a second start this Sunday against the Chargers in Los Angeles as the team’s No. 1 quarterback Teddy Bridgewater remains in concussion protocol.
“We really don’t have an update as to whether or not he’d be available this week,’’ Fangio said. “Maybe as the week moves on we will. But until he’s cleared by the independent docs and says he’s ready to go we have to assume that he won’t be available to play. We’ll do the best thing for him moving forward.”
The Denver defensive line also took a couple more hits as DeShawn Williams will miss the final two games with an elbow injury and Mike Purcell may be entering COVID protocols following tests Monday.
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