“Jon Gruden is coming to save Denver” - NFL fans speculate about Broncos’ reported “mystery” head coach candidate

For the umpteenth time since Peyton Manning retired from playing for the Denver Broncos, the sky is falling in the Rockies. Sean Payton has been hesitant about the team according to various conflicting reports and with Dan Quinn and Jim Harbaugh both returning to their current teams, the well is quickly drying up.

That is, at least when it comes to coaching hires with previous head coaching experience. There are still plenty of coordinators out there looking for a job, but Broncos fans are exhausted with rookie head coaches. So when Denver media outlets began reporting on a "mystery" candidate materializing, fans started speculating. Here's a look at some of the wide range of names floated:

Broncos QB Russell Wilson's 2022 struggles brewing trouble in 2023

Russell Wilson at Denver Broncos v Baltimore Ravens

With the Carolina Panthers hiring Frank Reich, the pool of available coaches continues to dry up. Meanwhile, one of the three teams to fire their head coach mid-season is now on the clock to avoid falling behind other teams as they settle on their partners for the future.

As Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson continued to nosedive in the standings, the team's stock increasingly went along for the ride. Throughout the season, fans' expectations of playoff glory soon turned into hopes of not tarnishing the team's reputation in the leadup to the next head coach search.

Heading into the season, many lauded the team as being one that was just a quarterback away. They liked the perennially dominant defense as well as some of the weapons out wide and in the backfield. However, the backfield and receivers suffered key injuries as well as the offensive line.

Meanwhile, the years-long struggle to get a working offense once again came to a head during the season, with the team struggling to reach even 18 points of offense per game at times. The team's struggles came to a head on Christmas when the team lost 51-14 to the Los Angeles Rams, who had to resort to using mid-year acquisition Baker Mayfield.

Now, after firing rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett, fans had hopes of landing a star head coach to fix Russell Wilson's woes and right the ship. Some had hoped that the team's Week 18 win over the playoff-caliber Chargers would be enough to prove that there is a good team underneath the tattered exterior.

Who will become Denver's next head coach and will he be enough to overcome seven years of missing the playoffs?