After firing Nathaniel Hackett, the Denver Broncos’ new ownership group will now be tasked with hiring a head coach for the first time.
The ownership group can offer a big contract and plenty of resources, but will the franchise be an attractive destination to top coach candidates?
The team’s next coach will inherit quarterback Russell Wilson — who needs to be fixed — and general manager George Paton, who traded away draft capital and players to acquire Wilson, and then gave him a big contract that will eat a lot of salary cap space in the coming years.
So, is this an attractive job opportunity?
“We have a lot to offer here, and it starts with ownership and the resources they are going to put into bringing us back to [winning a] championship,” Paton said Tuesday. “They are going to give us everything we need — this ownership group, Greg [Penner], Carrie [Penner] and Rob Walton. It is an iconic organization. It is an easy sell.
“The fan base and the winning tradition — that’s an easy sell. I can sell this roster. We have a bunch of good, young players. We have a long way to go, and we have some good veteran players, as well. We have a foundation in place where if we get the right head coach and we make some sound moves on the personnel end, we can turn this thing around.”
Wilson echoed Paton’s remarks and the quarterback pointed out that Denver has been hit hard by injuries this year, and he noted their one-score game struggles. He believes the team can turn the corner.
“We’ve lost eight games by one score and three overtime games,” Wilson said. “The Minnesota Vikings have won 11 of those. That’s the reality of this game and the National Football League. We have to be better and that starts with me. I’m looking forward to turning this thing around and making it special.”
The most notable potential coach candidate is (arguably) Sean Payton, but it would take a trade to acquire him, and it’s unclear if he would even be interested in the Broncos’ job.
Denver seems to believe that the position is an attractive opening, though, and Paton is confident the Broncos can attract top candidates in 2023.
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