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...
Chargers RB2 Battle Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Fans Expected
The backup running back job behind Omarion Hampton was supposed to be a straightforward camp storyline, but it has a little more texture now with Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell both in the mix. Vidal has already shown he can handle a heavier workload and contribute in more than one way, which gives him a solid case as the safer option if the Chargers want reliability behind their starter.
Mitchell brings a different kind of appeal with his burst and change-of-pace ability, the sort of trait that can force a defense to adjust in a hurry. For now, Vidal is the expected favorite to open camp as the top reserve, but the competition is still live enough that performance and health could keep this one from settling quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ravens Pick Just Hit Another Brutal NFL Reality Check
A January addition meant to give the Chargers some veteran depth up front is already gone, with Ben Cleveland released early in training camp after another off-field arrest in Georgia. Cleveland had joined Los Angeles after his run with the Ravens ended, but his time with the Chargers never got far enough to become more than a short-lived roster move.
The larger concern is the pattern around Cleveland, whose NFL path has been repeatedly interrupted by discipline and legal trouble. He previously faced a league suspension under the substance abuse policy, and a prior DUI arrest only added to the uncertainty surrounding his future, leaving his next step very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herberts Surprise Off-Field Milestone Could Raise Chargers Expectations
Justin Herbert has spent much of his NFL career being judged on the same terms every quarterback of his caliber faces: wins, production and how he handles the noise around him. Now he enters the 2026 season with a different kind of headline attached to him after announcing an engagement, a personal milestone that arrives as the Chargers continue building around him and trying to turn high expectations into something more lasting.
For a player who has long kept his focus despite plenty of outside attention, the timing hardly feels like a setback for Los Angeles. If anything, the Chargers are banking on Herbert remaining the steady center of everything they want to do, with a new coaching direction and a roster that gives him more support than ever as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]