Could Chuck Pagano be a replacement for Gary Kubiak?

With Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak stepping down, could Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano be a reasonable option to replace him?

The Denver Broncos likely will be searching for a head coach after a report stated Gary Kubiak could step down. Kubiak has missed time this season battling a migraine condition and reportedly his family are concerned for his health. If Kubiak we’re to leave, it would leave a large hole for the Broncos to fix. The Broncos are fresh from winning Super Bowl 50, in which Kubiak’s Broncos soundly defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10. So in case the inevitable comes, who could be considered a legitimate replacement?

Radio host Benjamin Allbright via Twitter sees signs pointing toward Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. Pagano has seen success with the Colts before but has struggled as of late. The past two seasons, the Colts have a record of 15-16, compared to 33-15 his first three seasons. But ideally, the Broncos would want to hire a coach with a defensive pedigree. Pagano has years of defensive experience, last serving the role as Defensive Coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens in 2011.

But on the flip side, the Colts defense are presently ranked 24th, which hasn’t been the M.O. for Pagano. The Broncos, of course, have a different personnel and feature stars all over the field. Von Miller, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. could be seen as an upgrade of the entire Colts roster, besides quarterback Andrew Luck.

But in the end, this is all still speculation. Colts owner Jim Irsay has stated he’s unhappy with the teams performance, but doesn’t anticipate making changes. On one side, could be seen as a good PR move to avoid negative news. But on the other side Pagano and his staff could be seen as safe. We won’t see the legitimacy of this rumor until Black Monday.