Gary Kubiak’s role remains undefined

A potential role for Gary Kubiak failed to gain clarity during and after coach Vic Fangio’s introductory news conference Thursday.

Kubiak has been connected to everything from assistant head coach/offense to offensive coordinator since the end of the season but there was no clarity on his role made public.

“None of the assistant coaching positions have been determined yet and until things are ironed out and iron-clad, I prefer Gary not to comment Kubiak on that,”

Fangio said. “But Gary is a hell of a coach. He’s a guy that I have respected throughout my career in the NFL, having competed against him at several stops.

“If Gary is interested, then I’m interested.”

Kubiak retired from coaching after the 2016 season. Last year, he returned to the Broncos in an advisory role.

He was a daily practice observer and watched home games with general manager John Elway.

Elway said Kubiak and Fangio met before the news conference.

Asked if Kubiak wants a bigger role moving forward, Elway said: “I think Gary would like to go (work) on the offensive side, but none of that has been settled.”

Elway later added: “Gary is a possibility (to run the offense) but we’ll see where it goes.”

Staff’s status.

A league source said several Broncos assistant coaches have been permitted to seek other employment, but the team has blocked several requests for other assistants that Fangio might have an interest in retaining.

The Broncos are also well into the process of submitting requests with the NFL to talk to assistants from other teams who are under contract.

Travel request.

Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said the team hopes to play an international game (and be the road opponent) in 2019. The Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders will play one game in Mexico City and London.

“We’ve been requesting for years and it’s fallen on deaf ears,” Ellis said. “I think part of that is certain matchups that are available for teams that do need to play over there. We pushed hard when (quarterback) Peyton Manning was here, but the problem was that every team wanted Peyton Manning on their season ticket package.”

In October 2010, the Broncos played San Francisco in London.

“It would be great for the team’s profile and the organization’s profile,” Ellis said. “I keep calling the commissioner (Roger Goodell) and he keeps saying, ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ ”

Ellis impressed.

Once Fangio arrived at Broncos headquarters on Wednesday, he met with Ellis for 40 minutes. Ellis did not attend Fangio’s interview on Monday.

“Very straight forward, very honest, very intelligent, a good degree of curiosity and I think his presence (on Thursday) was almost identical to how he was with me in terms of being confident and self-assured and delivering a message that was clear to everybody,” Ellis said.