The Broncos on Wednesday fired outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite, 10 days after he was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer in the face at Denver International Airport.

Wilhoite, 38, a former NFL linebacker, had been with the team the past two seasons under head coach Sean Payton. The moves comes after he had been placed on a list late last year by the Fritz Pollard Alliance as a candidate to be a defensive coordinator for an NFL team.

“After thorough discussions as an organization I met with Michael Wilhoite and informed him we have decided to part ways,’’ Payton said in a statement. “We recognize the serious nature of the allegations against him and believe this is the best course of action at this time. I appreciate Michael’s contributions to the Broncos and am confident he will move forward in a positive direction.”

Wilhoite was jailed after he allegedly at 2:09 p.m. on Feb. 23 punched a police officer in the face and knocked him down during a confrontation on the fourth level of the airport parking garage.

According to the arrest affidavit, Wilhoite had gotten out of his vehicle and was advised not to leave his 2021 Ford Bronco unattended. The report said Wilhoite cussed and chest-bumped the officer before he hit him “with a closed left fist.”

The officer was said to have told Wilhoite not to leave his vehicle twice and both times Wilhoite told him to “shut the f___ up.” When Wilhoite was said to have chest-bumped him, the officer fell backward.

The affidavit states that after he allegedly hit the officer , Wilhoite opened the driver-side door to get inside and the officer tased him on the left side of his body. Despite that, Wilhoite drove away.

Wilhoite was booked into the Denver County jail around 7 p.m. that day and appeared in court the following morning. He was given a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and ordered to pay $500 cash bail.

Wilhoite played in the NFL with San Francisco and Seattle from 2012-17, starting 45 of the 79 games he played. Wilhoite began his coaching career as a special teams assistant with New Orleans in 2019 and as a defensive assistant with the Saints in 2020 when Payton was the team’s head coach. He was linebackers coach of the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021-22 before being hired by the Broncos when Payton took the job as the team’s head coach.

Rod Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, had told The Denver Gazette in January that he had put Wilhoite on a list as a defensive coordinator candidate for an NFL team. The organization, which works with the NFL on minority hiring, puts out an annual list of candidates. Graves had praised Wilhoite’s work with Denver’s outside linebackers, including rising stars Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.

“As a former player, he has a great feel for the game,’’ Graves said at the time. “His career is growing.”

After his arrest, Wilhoite did not join the Broncos at the NFL Scouting Combine, which ran last week in Indianapolis. Payton was asked Feb. 25 at the combine about the incident.

“We’re on top of it relative to the local authorities as well as the league office,’’ Payton said then. “We’re monitoring that process and we’ll follow the proper protocols and channels.”