Report: Falcons request interview with Gary Kubiak, Denver and John Elway deny it

The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of trying to find a new offensive coordinator, but one coveted name might be out of reach.

Former Broncos and Texas head coach Gary Kubiak, everyone’s top pick to take over Atlanta’s offense, doesn’t look like he’s leaving his post in Denver’s front office.

The gist is that the Broncos want Kubiak around for the future, though that hasn’t stopped teams like the Falcons from trying to get him in to interview, per Schefter.

Both the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals have requested permission to interview Kubiak, who currently works as a senior personnel adviser with the Broncos, for their offensive coordinator jobs.

But Denver plans to keep Kubiak, according to sources, and would like him to work with whomever the Broncos hire as their next head coach, if that hire is open to that arrangement.

Kubiak is considered one of the top offensive coordinator candidates around the league. He still is under contract with Denver, and the Broncos can deny him from leaving.

Kubiak would like to stay in Denver anyway, sources said.

Now, we won’t sugar coat it. This is a swift kick in the face for all of us who were hoping to see Kubiak ride in on a golden chariot and bring this offense back to elite status. He had the best chance of any to do so, at least at first blush, so it’s massively disappointing that this is the reality of the situation.

The part about Kubiak being content to stay in his current role is perhaps the clincher here. He’s got a great set-up, to be fair. He’s a Broncos legend who helped bring the team multiple Lombardis, and he’s had some health concerns that led to him leaving his role as Denver’s head coach. That might be a major factor weighing on the lauded offensive mind if he’s comfortable and happy with what he’s doing now.

From here on out, it’s highly unlikely this changes. But sincere kudos to the Falcons for trying to get him in Flowery Branch to discuss the role. It shows that Atlanta really is trying to find the right guy for the job, and hints that we may hear more names bubble up in the future.

So the Kubiak Express looks like it’s staying parked in Denver for the time being. The Falcons could swiftly look to hire a Dirk Koetter or a Darrell Bevell, or they could choose to let this thing draw out a bit and really field a wide breadth of candidates.

We’ll know more soon enough, but consider a name, if you will: Matt Eberflus.

Eberflus is Indianapolis’ defensive coordinator, a random hire stranded by Josh McDaniel after he chose to stick in New England. No one was particularly excited for Eberflus, and certainly no one expected him to field a playoff-caliber defense. But that’s what happened, and he turned out to be one of the best coordinator hires of the previous coaching cycle.

Moral of the story: be willing to give anyone a chance. No, it’s not looking like Kubiak, but maybe the Falcons will find their right guy, even if he’s not their first choice. We’ll see in the days and weeks ahead who that might be.