John Fox Says He Feels Good, No Timetable For Return
By Rich Kurtzman
Head Coach John Fox spoke with reporters Tuesday, telling them that there is no timetable for his return to the Broncos and gave a little more detail about how he has spent the last couple of weeks.
Head coach John Fox of the Denver Broncos celebrates with running back Knowshon Moreno #27 (Credit, Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
And what a wild couple of weeks it's been for John Fox.
Three weeks ago, he was leading the Denver Broncos to their seventh win of the season over the Washington Redskins and former head coach Mike Shanahan. Then, on the bye week, Fox flew down to North Carolina for some late-season golf, which is when he started feeling poorly, something was wrong.
After being taken to a local hospital, it was found that Fox needed heart valve replacement surgery, which, apparently was not news to the 58-year-old head coach.
On Tuesday, Fox talked to reporters – including Joan Niesen of the Denver Post and Lindsay Jones of the USA TODAY – via conference call, and he discussed much about his current health situation.
Fox started out by telling reporters he feels "good," thanking them and fans for their thoughts during this time. He told them as soon as he is allowed to fly, he will head home to Denver and continue rehab in the Mile High City, but that there's no timetable on his return at this point.
His doctors are advising him to take it "one day at a time," although Fox also said according to Jones' Twitter account, "My goal and dream is to be there before the conclusion of this season."
For now, he can't think too hard about coaching, as Fox was forced to change the channel during the Broncos versus Chargers game last Sunday in San Diego.
Finally, he explained to reporters that he was born with a "bicuspid aortic valve, which means its [sic] a genetic defect. Most people born with three cusps, he has two," Niesen said on Twitter. But Fox has no plans of changing his lifestyle, which leads one to believe the 58 year old will continue head coaching in the NFL for the forseeable future.
While Fox is recovering, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has been promoted to interim head coach. The Broncos won their first game under Del Rio's leadership, 28-20 over the Chargers on Sunday. Now, they face the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs for AFC West superiority on Sunday Night Football.
Denver features the most dominant offense in the National Football League, while Kansas City's defense is dynamic, setting up for a huge game this weekend.
No matter the outcome, though, Fox's Broncos look to be heading into the playoffs for the third straight year under his guidance, and we may actually see him back on the sideline when that time comes.
For more Broncos news and updates, visit Broncos Central.
Rich Kurtzman is a Denver native, Colorado State University alumnus, sports nerd, athletics enthusiast, and competition junkie. Currently writing for a multitude of websites while working on books, one on the history of the Denver Broncos and Mile High Stadium. Rich is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
