Mike Westhoff, the Broncos’ assistant head coach, has stepped down. Westhoff, a cancer survivor, made the decision to leave due to health concerns.
Westhoff will be looking into a health issue that surfaced last week.
“It wasn’t easy to make this decision, but it was a wake-up call that I needed to prioritize my health,” Westhoff told Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. “This team is on the right track, with a solid foundation and a winning culture. I’m grateful to Sean for providing me the opportunity to contribute to a first-rate company, and I wish the Broncos all the best.”
Westhoff is a former special-teams coordinator. The Broncos’ special teams are presently led by coordinator Ben Kotwica and assistant Chris Banjo.
Westhoff made his NFL debut with the Dolphins in 1986, after playing collegiate football since 1974. He stayed there till 2000. He worked for the Jets from 2001 to 2012. He retired at that point, but returned in 2017 to work for current Broncos coach Sean Payton and the Saints. He stayed through 2018, then joined Payton in Denver last year.
Some may speculate that the move was related to the blocked field goal that cost the Broncos a win in Kansas City on Sunday. According to one person familiar with the issue, Westhoff would step down even if Will Lutz’s field goal try at the end of the defeat against the Chiefs had not been blocked. Indeed, Kotwica and Banjo continue to coach Denver’s special teams.
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