What will Gary Kubiak be doing for the Denver Broncos next year?
He could become the team’s offensive coordinator once again, which has been rumored since before the season came to a close and Vance Joseph was fired.
Today, before the AFC Wildcard game kicked off between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, it was reported by Adam Schefter the Broncos have blocked teams from trying to interview Kubiak for other jobs.
Schefter says both the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals have requested and have been blocked from interviewing Kubiak. The Bengals could have possibly wanted him as their head coach, with Marvin Lewis retiring, while Dan Quinn in Atlanta needs an offensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator is most likely the position with Cincinnati, too, although it would be interesting to see him on staff with Vance Joseph again.
Denver blocking those interview attempts makes it seem even more likely that not only will Kubiak stay with the team next year — at the very least in his Senior Personnel Advisor role — and possibly as the next OC.
Kubiak is still under contract with the Broncos, letting them block those requests, and per Schefter’s source, Kubiak wanted to stay in Denver anyway.
After being drafted by the Broncos in 1983, he was John Elway’s backup quarterback for years. Then, Kubiak worked under Mike Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 and followed him to Denver in 1995. Three years later, Kubiak was the offensive coordinator when the Broncos beat the Packers and then the Falcons in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Then, in 2015, Kubiak led Denver to their first Super Bowl win since those late-90s glory days, a defensive-led Super Bowl 50 victory. That time, he was the head coach.
But in 2016, Kubiak stepped away from the sidelines due to health issues, rejoining the team only six months later in his advisor role. That role grew at the end of 2017 as the third in charge of the Broncos front office, behind only Elway and Matt Russell.
Could Kubiak help Denver as the team’s new offensive coordinator?
It’s possible — he couldn’t do much worse than Bill Musgrave did this season — but it’s also possible the game has passed by Kubiak’s naked bootleg, zone-blocking offense.
Without a doubt, Case Keenum would benefit from Kubiak’s offense. Keenum’s been well-noted as a much better play-action passing quarterback, something Musgrave reluctantly and rarely used, and something which “Kubee’s” offense lives on.
Of course, that’s something which is standing in the way of the next head coach. Not only will they have to work with Elway, but likely with Kubiak — Elway’s buddy from 35 years ago — as well.
For an offensive head coach, like Mike Munchak would be, having Kubiak calling the plays might be a deal-breaker, even if Munchak is “very interested” in being the Broncos head coach.
Maybe that means, if Kubiak is to be the OC, that the Broncos will be going after a defensive-minded head coach instead of Munchak. Vic Fangio (Bears), Brian Flores (Patriots) and former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano are all defensive-minded coaches.