Vance Joseph Rumors: Ex-Broncos HC to Interview for Bengals Job

The Cincinnati Bengals will interview Vance Joseph this week regarding their head coaching vacancy, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.

The Denver Broncos announced Monday they had fired Joseph. The Broncos went 11-21 in Joseph's two seasons as the head coach.

The Bengals confirmed Marvin Lewis' departure Monday, with the two sides mutually agreeing to end his 16-year tenure.

Pelissero noted Bengals owner Mike Brown "values familiarity." Joseph was Cincinnati's defensive backs coach in 2014 and 2015, so he has experience working with Brown and some of the Bengals' personnel.

Letting Lewis go made sense. Cincinnati hasn't had a winning record since 2015, and 16 years is a long time for an NFL head coach. The Bengals should benefit from having a new voice in the locker room and a coach with a different approach.

However, ownership could easily select a replacement who represents a clear step backward, and the fact that Hue Jackson is being thrown around as a possible candidate is a perfect example of that.

Going with Joseph might not be much better either. The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala listed Denver's numerous strategic mistakes and ineffective performances during Joseph's time in the Mile High City.

Although two years isn't a significant enough sample to say Joseph can never be a successful NFL head coach, he might benefit more from returning to a coordinator role for a few seasons. He was the Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator in 2016 before going to Denver.

Along with head coach, the Bengals are looking for a defensive coordinator after firing Teryl Austin in November. Perhaps Cincinnati would consider Joseph for that position as well when it brings him in for an interview.