The Denver Broncos have fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi along with two other assistant coaches. The team announced Tuesday that Lombardi, wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch were dismissed.
The moves came two days after Denver's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Lombardi, 54, had been with the Broncos since 2023 when head coach Sean Payton was hired. He previously worked under Payton with the New Orleans Saints for 12 years across two different stints from 2007-2013 and 2016-2020. Lombardi also served as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021-2022.
According to ESPN, Payton expressed frustration after the championship game loss, stating the offense "didn't do enough" to earn a Super Bowl berth. The Broncos managed just 181 yards of total offense in the game with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting after Bo Nix fractured his ankle in the divisional round. During the regular season, Denver ranked 14th in scoring at 23.6 points per game, 10th in offensive EPA, and 12th in QBR. The offense finished 29th in three-and-out percentage at 25 percent of drives. Payton handles offensive play-calling duties for the Broncos. Lombardi worked from the coaches' booth during games and was among those on headset with Payton, but Payton called the plays directly to the quarterback. The Broncos defense ranked second in yards allowed and third in points allowed during the regular season, finishing first in sacks and red zone defense. Potential internal candidates to replace Lombardi include quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who is also a candidate for the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching position, and assistant head coach Zach Strief. Senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael previously served as offensive coordinator under Payton in New Orleans. The Broncos finished the regular season with the best record in the AFC at 14-3 and earned the conference's top seed before reaching the championship game.
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