Broncos AHC Mike Westhoff Steps Down Due to Health Concern

The 76-year-old began experiencing vision problems last week.

Aug 23, 2018; Costa Mesa, CA, USA: New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff during joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers at the Jack. R. Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Denver Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff has stepped down from his role with the organization to "monitor a potential health issue," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.

The 76-year-old Westhoff began experiencing problems with his vision last week and underwent MRI testing on Monday. Following medical consultation and "several positive conversations" with Broncos head coach Sean Payton, he opted to resign his position.

“It’s not easy to make this decision, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to put my health first,” Westhoff told Pelissero. “This team is very much headed in the right direction with a strong foundation and a winning culture. I’m grateful to Sean for giving me the opportunity to contribute to a first-class organization and wish the Broncos the very best.”

#Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff has stepped down from his role to monitor a potential health issue, NFL Network has learned.
 
Westhoff, 76, experienced problems related to his vision last week and underwent testing Monday, including an MRI. After consulting with… pic.twitter.com/ax7iKLIgqy

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 13, 2024

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Hired by Payton in 2023, Westhoff served as the former's right-hand man while overseeing Denver's special teams unit led by coordinator Ben Kotwica and assistant Chris Banjo. His impact was immediate as the group finished within the top ten last season for the first time since 2015.

And it's still being felt. Entering this week's game against Atlanta, the Broncos special teams ranks sixth in opposing kickoff return average, seventh in punt return average, 11th in opposing punt return average, and 12th in kickoff return average.

A football lifer widely regarded among the top assistant coaches in NFL history, Westhoff spent more than a decade with the New York Jets and a pair of seasons with Payton in New Orleans before arriving to the Mile High City.

"I consider him one of the best coaches that I have been around," Payton said in February 2023. "I can remember introducing him to our team. If not all of you, but some of you have covered this league long enough that would remember him—if you didn’t, you can’t vote, but if you did, I’ll let you vote—but he would be someone that would be right up there at the top, from a coordinator standpoint. A [Pro Football] Hall-of-Fame-type coordinator."

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