With Denver Broncos coach John Fox set to undergo an aortic heart valve replacement this week, the team has announced his fill-in.
The Broncos said Monday that defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will assume interim coaching duties while Fox is sidelined for "at least several weeks." Executive vice president of football operations John Elway said Fox had surgery Monday morning and currently is recovering.
Fox planned to undergo the procedure after the season, but the timeline shifted when the 58-year-old coach was taken to a Charlotte-area hospital Saturday after feeling light-headed during a round of golf.
We saw the Houston Texans turn to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips after Gary Kubiak collapsed at halftime of Sunday night's 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. That sudden switch had a visible effect on Texans players and the game itself.
The timing in Denver is a different story. Del Rio has a full week to prepare the 7-1 Broncos for Sunday's road game against the San Diego Chargers.
We recapped every one of Sunday's games in our Week 9 "Around The League Podcast."