Fansided

NFL roundup: Gary Kubiak retires from coaching

By Brad Weiss

Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak looks at his play card in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons won 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak looks at his play card in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons won 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Denver Broncos will head into the 2017 NFL season with a new head coach, as Gary Kubiak officially retired on Monday.

Gary Kubiak won a Super Bowl title in his first season at the helm of the Denver Broncos, as their elite defense led them to a 24-10 victory in Super Bowl 50. On Monday, Kubiak retired after only two seasons with the Broncos, where he compiled a 21-11 record in the regular season. Kubiak has battled health problems during his time with the Broncos, and the the responsibilities of the job just became too much for him.

After the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, the stage was finally set for the NFL Playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and AFC respectively, and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Super Bowl 51 is slated to kick off on Feb. 5, 2017, and the game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Sean Payton has meant so much to the city of New Orleans, as his Saints helped lift the city’s spirits after Hurricane Katrina. However, the losses are beginning to pile up, as the Saints have gone 7-9 in each of the past three seasons.

Payton fully expects to be back with the Saints next season, but there have been rumors that he could be traded to a team this offseason, and with six coaching vacancies out there, he may find himself on a new sidelines next season.

The Oakland Raiders are a playoff team for the first time since 2002, though it looks like it is going to take a miracle for them to reach the Super Bowl. Star quarterback Derek Carr broke his leg in Week 16, and the team was forced to go with Matt McGloin the rest of the way.

However, McGloin hurt his shoulder in his only start in Week 17, and the team had to go with Connor Cook the rest of the way. Head coach Jack Del Rio has not made a decision as to who will be under center when the team takes on the Houston Texans on Saturday.

Next: NFL Power Rankings: 30 Best QB of All-Time

After going 1-15 this season, the Cleveland Browns will pick first overall in next April’s draft. The Browns will have two first round picks next year, so the likelihood they swing a trade for the pick is extremely high. Cleveland has so many holes on its roster, and utilizing their plethora of draft picks could be their best chance to actually win more than one game next season. The Tennessee Titans also will pick twice in the first round, as they traded away the first overall pick last April to the Los Angeles Rams.

Home/NFL