Broncos HC Vic Fangio on future with Denver: 'I'll be good ... don't worry about me'
Denver's season-ending defeat to Kansas City didn't come without significant effort from the Broncos, but was it enough to preserve Vic Fangio's job?
Yet, that wasn't enough to end him—yet. Denver will likely come to a decision in the next 24 hours, and as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and James Palmer reported earlier on Saturday, multiple league sources believe the Broncos will eventually move on.
Fangio wasn't too tense about his future after the Broncos' 28-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The coach told reporters he did not know what would happen next for him, but he had spoken with first-year general manager George Patton during the week before Saturday's game. Fangio then responded with some clarity to a question from ESPN's Jeff Legwold.
"Everything," Fangio said when asked what he and Patton discussed. "I'll be good leg [Jeff Legwold], don't worry about me."
If this was Fangio's termination as head coach of the Broncos, Denver certainly didn't give up on their coach.
The Broncos went toe-to-toe with the Chiefs for four quarters, overcoming early losses to take a 14-7 lead and eroding their chances of victory until a late trade. So decided to settle for a field goal with less than five minutes left, relying on the belief that the strength of Fangio's team - his defense - could stop the Broncos and give Drew Locke another chance to win. can.
They didn't and as a result, Patrick Mahomes kneeled the clock in Denver's red zone to finally create the final image of Fangio's tenure.
When asked about his team from Saturday's performance, Fangio said, "They are a bunch of fighters and competitors and that's the foundation on which they have to build." "And when we get a little better, play a little better, coach a little better, that foundation will take us forward."
Now the question is whether Fangio will be around to see it. Slightly better coaching could include finding a different offensive coordinator to replace Pat Shurmur, who spent 2021 directing an offense that moved from 18th to 19th in the league in total yards. Playing slightly better may involve identifying and obtaining a quarterback who is better than Locke or Teddy Bridgewater. The latter was good enough to lead the Broncos to victory on a few occasions, but headed for free agency, while the former was not effective enough to do so on Saturday. And above all, having sent seven different signal-callers to the field during Fangio's tenure, the Broncos need stability under center more than anything.
Fangio's famed defensive expertise was visible in his 2021 Broncos, who had enough unit to reach the playoffs but didn't get enough complementary games to avoid losing 10 games. If he is eliminated this week, Fangio will likely have the job of defensive coordinator in no time.
Ideally, however, Fangio would like to remain head coach of the Broncos after spending more than three decades as an assistant. He has played the same hit song that many other coaches on the hot seats have turned to in times of need, to lay the groundwork laid during his tenure. To be able to build a house on top of said foundation he would need more patience than the rest of Patton and the Broncos brass.
"We, the whole organization, are proud of that," Fangio said of his team's established culture. "Is this what we want? Is it good enough? No. But you can't think that what you're doing isn't good enough because other things aren't good enough. OK? They have to be there. And When you get good enough at other things, that's your foundation, if you follow what I say."
What Fangio is saying is simple: don't blow it up when we're starting to make legitimate progress. We'll see if Patton pushes the plunger or decides to give Fangio another chance this week.
