Amidst a Super Bowl chase, Joseph prioritizes playoff success, his head coaching aspirations temporarily set aside for the Broncos' winning momentum.
Things really might come full circle for Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Once again, the Broncos DC is a head coach candidate in this cycle, and with nine openings, it would be surprising if Joseph doesn't land a head coach job.
Joseph was the Broncos head coach in 2017 and 2018, finishing with an 11-21 in two seasons. He then spent time as the DC with the Arizona Cardinals for four years before returning to Denver, this time as a DC.
Now, Joseph is a popular head coach candidate, and he has already had interviews with the Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders, Giants and Titans. The Falcons also requested an interview, but that will be on hold until the Broncos playoff run comes to an end.
As Joseph is preparing a defense in hopes of a Super Bowl run, he doesn't sound too focused on the other interviews that might come.
“It’s been on the back burner,” Joseph said, via Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. “For me, winning is a priority. What happens after that happens. I can’t control that.”
Joseph also said it is "flattering" to be receiving so much buzz in this coaching cycle.
“It’s flattering, but it speaks to the entire program,” he said. “Again, when teams want to hire a coach from a winning program, they want the recipe. It speaks to ownership here, it speaks to the coaches, it speaks to our players. It’s everyone’s reward, so to speak. Obviously, when teams are struggling and need a change, they look towards teams that are winning and how we flipped it here in the last three years. It’s pretty special."
The Broncos are the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and a large reason as to why is the talented defense in Denver.
It isn't just Joseph, either. Special teams coach Darren Rizzi interviewed for the New York Giants head coach opening, and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb is a popular name despite being only 30 years old.
Still, head coach Sean Payton is hoping his team can defeat Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills and play a little longer after being eliminated by the Bills in the postseason a year ago.
Whenever the Broncos run comes to an end, it wouldn't be surprising one bit if Joseph landed a head coaching job, and if not, it is only a matter of time before he is running the show somewhere else in the NFL.