Vance Joseph has become the man with the Denver Broncos.
But it wasn't that long ago when he was loathed within Broncos Country. Selected as the head coach to replace Gary Kubiak, Joseph was often underprepared out outmatched, looking like he had no clue what he was doing. His stint as Broncos head coach — which ended after two seasons and an 11-21 record — was considered one of the most miserable in team history.
Joseph then went to the Arizona Cardinals to become their defensive coordinator. Broncos fans didn't care where he was, as long as it wasn't Denver.
The Broncos hired Sean Payton after firing Nathaniel Hackett, who was somehow even worse than Joseph, and all seemed well. Broncos fans were thrilled that they landed a guy who many consider one of the best coaches of the last quarter century.
But then Payton hired Joseph. What? How could this be? The move led to plenty of skepticism and some wondering if Payton was really fit for the job.
But entering his third year as the team's defensive coordinator, Joseph has not only earned an apology, but he's been downright fantastic.
As we get closer to the 2025 season starting, Jacob Infante of PFSN decided to rank all 32 defensive coordinators in the league right now, and Joseph nearly tops the list, coming in at No. 4.
"The Denver Broncos led the NFL in PFSN’s Defense+ metric in 2024, finishing inside the top 10 in points allowed, yards allowed, passer rating allowed, and interceptions per game. They also led the league in sacks, a testament to the outstanding work of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Joseph’s journey from being the Broncos’ head coach from 2017 to 2018 to being their DC has been remarkable. With the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Pat Surtain II at his disposal, he figures to be leading the charge for some time", wrote Infante.
Only Vic Fangio, Steve Spagnuolo and Brian Flores were ranked higher. Two of those men have won Super Bowls and are known as some of the best defensive minds in NFL history.
Joseph is beginning to put himself in elite company and he has a chance to be even more impressive with the cast of characters he has ready to take the field this season.
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