Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph faces increasingly longer odds to be retained and return for his second season in Denver, league sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Broncos, who are 5-10 entering Sunday's season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, still have not made a final decision on Joseph, according to Schefter.
Stability and consistency at quarterback were among the primary issues for the Broncos this season, as quarterback Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler all started games behind center. The Broncos' eight-game losing streak from Oct. 15 to Dec. 3 was their longest since 1967; six of those losses were by double digits and four by at least 20 points.
But the team's most prominent players, including captains Von Miller and Aqib Talib, Siemian, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and linebacker Brandon Marshall, had consistently backed Joseph during the team's struggles, which included an eight-game losing streak.
If they decide to fire him, Joseph, 45, would become the first non-interim coach in franchise history to last only one season. Should the Broncos part ways with Joseph, general manager John Elway will conduct his fourth head coach search in his seven seasons on the job.
Joseph, the team's first African-American head coach, replaced Gary Kubiak a year ago when Kubiak stepped away from coaching because of health concerns.
ESPN's Jeff Legwold and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
