Denver Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff has stepped down to deal with a potential health issue, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
Westhoff, 76, experienced issues related to his vision last week and underwent testing Monday, which included an MRI. After a consultation with doctors and conversations with head coach Sean Payton, Westhoff made the decision to head home to Florida.
"It's not easy to make this decision, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to put my health first," Westhoff said in a statement to NFL Network. "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."
Westhoff was in his second season as the assistant head coach for the Broncos, but has 33 years of NFL coaching experience.
A longtime special teams coach, Westhoff began his NFL tenure in 1982 with the Indianapolis Colts and had his longest run with any team as part of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff as a special teams/tight ends coach from 1986-2000. He was then with the New York Jets from 2001-2012 before spending two seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Payton from 2017-2018.
He rejoined Payton in Denver when he was hired on Feb. 25, 2023.
