The Broncos are bringing Vance Joseph back for 2026, and Sean Payton isn’t hiding how much that matters to him.
Joseph drew head-coaching interviews for the second straight offseason, but he came up empty again and will stay in Denver. Payton said he’s “thrilled he’s back, selfishly,” while also making it clear he believes Joseph’s next shot is coming.
“I’ll do anything and everything I can to help him. He’s been fantastic to work with.
His command of the room with the players on defense and what they’re doing is super impressive.”
Joseph, for his part, isn’t dwelling on the missed opportunities. He said the whole thing is about staying locked in on Denver’s defense and letting the rest take care of itself.
“It was a process,” Joseph said. “Obviously, I didn’t get a job last year, and that’s OK.
My focus now is to get back in position, and that’s winning games for the Broncos and being a great defense again. It’s a process that is different every single year.”
He added, “I can’t be concerned about the outcomes, [I can] just keep pushing forward, winning games and being in position to interview. That’s an honor by itself.
So I am not discouraged. My focus is the Broncos’ defense right now.
I do want to be a head coach, but there are seasons for that. Right now, my focus is strictly on our defense being better this year.”
In Los Angeles, Ladd McConkey is set to be a full participant when training camp opens, and he likes the look of the roster around him. “I feel like this is probably the most talented roster I’ve been on since I’ve been here.
Now we just gotta go do it.” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert also had praise for rookie receiver Brenen Thompson, saying, “He’s gonna be very good.
We saw it early on that he was gonna be. He’s skilled.
He’s fast. He’s gonna make a lot of plays for us.”
Kansas City rookie running back Emmett Johnson, a sixth-round pick out of Nebraska, says he’s ready to contribute as a pass-catcher too. Johnson said he’s been working on that skill for years and even described the routine he’s kept up with his brother.
“I’ve always done it since high school,” Johnson said, via ChiefsWire. “My brother’s not here, but we always do 200 catches a day, so I try to make sure I get out here early enough to catch the ball, so I have no drops.”
Johnson also talked about working under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who he says keeps him on edge in the best way. “Oh, he’s (Bieniemy) going to push you, man.
He’s going to push you a lot,” Johnson said. “He wants the best for me at the end of the day; I’m not going to take anything personal.
I pride myself on hard coaching, so I really love that he’s here. He’s pushing me to be better every single day.”
Out in Las Vegas, first-round quarterback Fernando Mendoza says he isn’t treating Kirk Cousins like a rival. Instead, he says the quarterback room is about sharpening each other and keeping the Raiders pointed toward wins.
“Being a part of the Silver and Black, we want to compete every single day and do the best that we can for the organization and best for the team so we can win games,” Mendoza said, via the team website. “Everybody in the quarterback room is a top-tier quarterback and it’s going to be competing with each other, not competing against each other.”
He expanded on that idea by drawing a line between healthy competition and anything else: “Competing with each other [is] pushing each other to be the best quarterback we can possibly be for the Las Vegas Raiders, and to enable [us] to then win as many games as possible. Against [is] withholding information, wishing maybe not the best intent on somebody.”
In Other News...
Raiders Camp Will Answer One Huge Question About This Defense
Training camp is where the Raiders should start getting real answers about a defense that has been reshaped in a hurry. Christian Wilkins is in place up front, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have been added at linebacker, and the staff now gets a full look at how the new pieces fit with the holdovers as Las Vegas tries to raise the floor on that side of the ball.
The most interesting part may come along the defensive line and in the cornerback room, where camp reps will matter as much as any offseason label. Players like Hemingway and Decamerion Richardson are on the spot to show they can claim bigger roles, and for a team still rebuilding its secondary, the next few weeks could go a long way toward deciding how much confidence the Raiders can have when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Just Gave Raiders Fans A Reason To Be Patient
The Raiders have spent training camp balancing the present and the future, with Kirk Cousins installed as the starter while first overall pick Fernando Mendoza gets his early education behind him. For a team opening against the Miami Dolphins, the plan is clear enough: let the veteran handle the immediate pressure, and let the rookie absorb as much as he can while the staff works to bring him along at a steady pace.
Mendoza has already shown why Las Vegas is willing to be patient. He has looked promising in practice, even if he knows there is still a long way to go, especially with the playbook. Cousins is expected to help in that process as a mentor, and the bigger question now is not whether Mendoza has talent, but how quickly he can close the gap and make the Raiders revisit the quarterback picture. [Read more 🡒]