Five days after the Broncos lost 31-7 at Buffalo to open the playoffs, Sean Payton made a move to shake up his coaching staff.
A source said Friday the Denver head coach fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica after two seasons.
After Payton was hired in February 2023, he brought in longtime special teams coach Mike Westhoff as assistant head coach and Kotwica was also hired in part because of his long association with Westhoff. But Westhoff retired last November due to health reasons.
The Broncos had plenty of positive moments on special teams in 2024. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. averaged 15.7 yards on punt returns to become the first Denver player to lead the NFL in that category since Rick Upchurch in 1982. Mims was named first-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.
Kicker Wil Lutz made 31 of 34 field goals. Punter Riley Dixon had one of the best seasons of his nine-year career, averaging 42 yards net and throwing a pass on fourth-and-8 on a fake punt for a first down in the playoff loss to the Bills.
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However, there were some breakdowns. In a Nov. 10 game at Kansas City, linebacker Leo Chantel bowled over offensive lineman Alex Forsyth on the left side to block a 35-yard field-goal attempt by Lutz on the final play of a 16-14 Chiefs win. And in a Nov. 24 game at Las Vegas, the Raiders converted a fake punt and also had a 59-yard kickoff return by Dylan Laube.
Darren Rizzi could be a candidate to replace Westhoff. Rizzi was Payton's special teams coordinator at New Orleans under Payton from 2019-21 and finished the 2024 season as the Saints' interim coach.
According to the Rooney Rule, the Broncos will need to interview at least two diversity candidates in their search for a new special teams coordinator.
Assistant special teams coordinator Chris Banjo, a former player under Payton in New Orleans, remains on Denver's staff.