With the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons taking the field for the 2019 NFL Hall of Fame Game, football is officially back for the first time since Super Bowl LIII. Unfortunately, one head coach may not be on the sidelines for the game.
Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio was in danger of missing Thursday’s game due to a medical issue. Fangio spent much of the day in a Cleveland hospital with a kidney stone. Schefter reports that the head coach has not passed it just yet, but he is “doing better” and will try to fulfill his coaching duties.
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In terms of missing time as the head coach, this is one of the more unique reasons. Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was kept off the sideline due to having eight surgeries on his eye, but dealing with a kidney stone is a much different matter.
Originally hired in early January, Fangio came to the Broncos to serve as head coach after an impressive stint as the defensive coordinator in Chicago. The hope at the time of the hiring was that he would get the Broncos defense back to the levels that resulted in a dominating victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
“Vic really impressed us with his attention to detail — His focus is on teaching the fundamentals, technique and playing disciplined football,” general manager John Elway said in a statement about Fangio’s hiring. “Going through this process and talking to many qualified candidates, it became clear that Vic was the best choice to lead our team.
“There are few things that Vic has not seen in 40 years of coaching. He’s been great on the defensive side of the ball for a number of years with a simple, detailed approach that gets results. With his intelligence and experience, Vic is as good of a football coach as you can find. He’s the perfect fit and exactly what we need as head coach of the Denver Broncos.”
Unfortunately for Fangio, he may not be able to showcase his new-look defensive scheme on Thursday if he can’t make it to the sidelines for the game. The Hall of Fame Game is ultimately meaningless due to it being part of the preseason, but it’s still important for the team to have its leader available on game day.
Kickoff between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons is set for 8 p.m. ET. Will Fangio be on the sidelines to lead his team?
