Joe Lombardi’s staying put in the AFC West and set for a third run with head coach Sean Payton.
Lombardi, the former Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator, is being hired as the Denver Broncos’ new OC, the team announced Saturday.
Dismissed from the Chargers on Jan. 17, Lombardi will reunite with Payton once more.
The 51-year-old Lombardi was a New Orleans Saints offensive assistant and then quarterbacks coach from 2007-2013 under Payton. Following two years as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, Lombardi was back in the bayou as the Saints QB coach from 2016-2020.
History is repeating itself as Lombardi is following another two-year OC stint by rejoining Payton, who was hired to helm the Broncos on Jan. 31.
Despite his firing, Lombardi’s final statistics in L.A. weren’t bad. The Chargers were a top-10 offense in yards in each of the last two seasons and No. 5 in points in 2021 before falling eight spots in 2022.
While Lombardi has struggled in his two OC runs, he’s certainly had success as part of Payton’s staff. He worked well with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and was part of the Saints’ Super Bowl championship run in the 2009 season.
He’ll now team up with Payton in the hopes of turning around quarterback Russell Wilson’s career after a monumental stumble during the QB’s first year with the Broncos in 2022.
Lombardi got run out of Los Angeles, but his old boss Payton and the Broncos are welcoming him with open arms.
