Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator and Arizona Cardinals head coaching candidate, Vance Joseph, saw his season end in ugly fashion, and let's not blame the weather for it.
The Denver offense put up seven points in a game where they only lost by three. Joseph did everything he could to keep the team in the game, but it wasn’t enough, especially when a quarterback with four starts to his name was under center.
Joseph, 53, has been linked to around six teams in this year's head coaching cycle. However, there is one factor in particular that may draw him to Arizona.
MORE: Arizona Cardinals 2026 NFL Draft: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa Scouting Report
MORE: ESPN Insider Hints At Cardinals HC Job Finalists
Cardinals Have Talent All Over The Field
A defensive wizard, Joseph will have the opportunity to coach three rookies who built strong campaigns in their inaugural seasons. We’re talking about Walter Nolen III, Cody Simon, and Will Johnson. On top of those three, he will also inherit a few veteran leaders in Budda Baker and Josh Sweat.
This unit will play perfectly to his strengths as a defensive mastermind.
On offense, he has Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, who look to finally get on the same page as a unit, and not just as individuals. Joseph’s strong communication may help these three develop into one of the best trios in the sport.
The Cardinals still need to answer the question of who the quarterback will be in 2026, with Kyler Murray rumored to be out the door. Overall, this is the one big questionmark on the roster.
Despite being a three-win team in 2026, the Cardinals are much better than their record shows. After all, they played in the hardest division in the NFC West, where three of the four teams had 12 or more wins.
There should be mutual interest between the Cardinals’ franchise and Vance Joseph.