The Broncos have a familiar face back on their coaching staff.
Head coach Sean Payton has re-hired Michael Wilhoite as a defensive assistant, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Post.
Wilhoite served as Payton’s outside linebackers coach in 2023-24 but was fired in the spring of 2025 after he allegedly punched a police officer at Denver International Airport and drove off after being tased by the officer. Earlier this year, however, the felony charges were first moved to county court and downgraded to misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer and criminal mischief, a petty offense. Then they were dropped altogether in early June after Wilhoite was accepted into a diversion program.
Wilhoite is still being sued in civil court by the officer involved in the incident, Jesus Galvan Chavez, who claims he was verbally and physically intimidated and threatened by Wilhoite and assaulted, “including trauma and damage to (his) jaw, hip and left lower and upper extremities.”
The civil case is set to go to a jury trial in March. According to a late April court filing, lawyers for Chavez and Wilhoite have talked about a potential settlement and the parties agreed to conduct mediation before Dec. 22.
The removal of criminal proceedings cleared the way, however, for the former San Francisco 49ers linebacker to return to coaching.
Payton and the Broncos felt comfortable bringing him back to Denver.
Wilhoite’s title is defensive assistant, but it would make sense if he worked once again with Denver’s front-line players. Isaac Shewmaker took over as outside linebackers coach after Wilhoite was fired and is considered a young up-and-comer in the coaching business. Jamar Cain has coached the defensive line the past two seasons after being a pass-rush specialist. B.T. Jordan, who consulted for the Broncos and was around extensively the past two years, now works for the Dallas Cowboys. That shuffling would have left Denver essentially down a coach on the defensive front line, but no longer.
Wilhoite returns to a defense that turned in yet another terrific season in 2025 and saw some of his former pupils blossom.
In his last conversation with The Post late in the 2024 season, Wilhoite said his job was to get outside linebacker Nik Bonitto “$20 million per year.”
The next summer, Bonitto signed a four-year extension worth $106 million — $26.5 million per season. Then Bonitto put together his best professional season yet, racking up 14 sacks and finishing fourth in the NFL’s defensive player of the year voting.
Before he was fired, Wilhoite was considered a coach with a bright future. In the spring of 2024, he was selected to participate in the NFL’s since-changed accelerator program.
Even in announcing Wilhoite’s firing, Payton said, “I appreciate Michael’s contributions to the Broncos, and I am confident he will move forward in a positive direction.”
Now, more than 16 months later, that direction has led Wilhoite back to the Broncos.
