The Denver Broncos will be giving coach Gary Kubiak the week off as he deals with a complex migraine condition, general manager John Elway announced Monday.
Kubiak will not coach the Broncos during Thursday's game against the San Diego Chargers and won't return to the team until Oct. 17, Elway said.
Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been elevated to interim head coach. Elway said that promoting the special teams coordinator was the most seamless way to reorganize the staff with offensive coordinator Rick Dennison taking on full-time play calling duties and Wade Phillips calling the defense. While DeCamillis still has extensive responsibilities during the week with special teams, he can shift a focus on game day to game management and allow the other two coordinators to have a relatively normal Sunday.
DeCamillis, 51, has been a special teams coach or coordinator in the league since 1988 and arrived in Denver back in 2015. Elway said that the Broncos did not even broach the subject of Kubiak working this week with the ailing coach still recovering in the hospital.
"We're excited about Gary's future and I think what we heard last night is good, but I'm going to let Gary handle (speaking about his medical issue) when he comes back," Elway said.
In a statement released by the team Monday night, Kubiak said he's made a lot of changes to his health in recent years and will continue to listen to doctors moving forward.
"I'm feeling much better and am thankful for everyone's thoughts and well-wishes," Kubiak stated. "It's tough not being there with our team this week, but I've got great confidence in Joe D, our coordinators and coaching staff, and all of our players.
"I'll be at home this week resting and getting healthy, and I look forward to rejoining our team on Monday."
Elway noted that Kubiak clearly did not feel well before Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but declined to say if this condition was at all related to a 2013 incident where Kubiak was carted off the field as head coach of the Houston Texans due to a transient ischemic attack.
When asked if Kubiak's mounting on-field health issues were a concern to Elway, he said that he's trusting his coach, friend and former teammate.
"We'll find that out this week, but like I said, the information we received last night of the different things that have happened -- we felt good about the fact that he was going to continue to be able to do what he does. That's the best thing. I think that when you go through these things, sometimes they're bad but really good things come out of it -- and I think this is one of those things. The timing is a short week and it's almost better that it's a short week. That was not us yesterday (in a loss to the Falcons). We get turned around and Gary can take this week and work on himself then get back to normal on Monday."
