The Denver Broncos lost on Sunday, in more ways than one. Denver fell 24-13 to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional playoffs at Sports Authority Field, ending its season and very likely its championship window.
After the game, Peyton Manning was non-committal about his 2015 return, saying he needed to process things. Manning was awful in the contest, overthrowing a multitude of receivers while going 26-of-46 for 211 yards. Manning’s potential exit stole the spotlight until Monday evening, when news broke that head coach John Fox and team mutually agreed to part ways, according to Adam Schefter and Jay Glazer.
Shortly thereafter, the remaining Broncos coaches were granted permission to look elsewhere for work. Clearly, the rebuild is on in the Mile High City. While Manning’s status is still in limbo, there are plenty of other pressing questions surrounding general manager John Elway.
With the need for a new coaching staff, where does Elway look? With defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio heavily rumored to be headed to the Oakland Raiders and offensive coordinator Adam Gase being considered for a second interview with the San Francisco 49ers, it appears an external candidate is probable to take over. Could Gary Kubiak be in the mix? Kubiak recently told the Baltimore Sun that he is staying in Baltimore, but that preceded the chaos in Denver. Kubiak was Elway’s backup during their playing days and then his offensive coordinator during Elway’s Super Bowl runs.
Once the coaching situation is squared away, the next problem for Elway is an aging roster filled with free agents. The Broncos have a litany of decisions to make on key players, including Wes Welker, Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Terrance Knighton and Orlando Franklin. Welker is likely gone, while Demaryius Thomas will be the most expensive to keep. Julius Thomas’ potential return is a mystery, while Franklin and Knighton’s futures are anybody’s guess.
Denver currently has $32.3 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap, so there is room for Elway to work. Considering the Broncos need to allot approximately $5.5 million to draft picks, Denver has $27 million to sign free agents including its own. Certainly, the Broncos have flexibility, but will they want to reload again in 2015 with all that has gone on?
Regardless of the outcome, this is a stunning reversal of fortune for a team that was favored by a touchdown on Sunday to advance on Sunday to its second consecutive AFC title game. Denver has been a consistent force in the conference, winning four straight AFC West crowns while rolling out one of the best offenses in history. Incredibly, all of that success has seemingly come to a close in a time period less than 24 hours.
It is going to be a long, hard winter in Denver.
