After six seasons away from the NFL, Rex Ryan could be close to getting back in the game. The former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach has worked with ESPN as an NFL analyst ever since.
Now, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports, Ryan could be looking at a comeback after emerging as a legitimate candidate for the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator vacancy. Ryan, 60, would be joining forces with Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton, who recently agreed to terms with the Broncos.
Ryan rose to fame thanks to his dominant Baltimore Ravens defenses that ranked in the top-five of yards allowed in three of his four seasons as a coordinator from 2005-08. He then became the head coach of the Jets, where they reached the postseason, winning two playoff games in each of his first two seasons. But Ryan would never get back to the playoffs, being fired four years later from the Jets, joining the Bills for a two-year tenure.
If Ryan hops on board, the Broncos would have an extremely experienced leader on both sides of the ball, and with the colorful commentary the two TV analysts bring, those Broncos sidelines would be a riot.
Related: Grading NFL coaching hires 2023: Grades and rankings for every NFL head coach hiring
Ryan has a total of 12 years as either a defensive coordinator or head coach, and his units have been known for their aggressive style of play, with a high blitz rate for the most part. In Ryan’s time with the Ravens, Jets, and Bills, his units operated a 3-4 base defense, which would give the Broncos more stability, as that is the same scheme Ejiro Evero ran in 2022 as well.
No matter who takes over the Broncos’ defense, they’ll be taking the reins of a unit that allowed the 14th-fewest points per game while allowing the 12th-fewest passing yards and 10th-fewest rushing yards. In other words, it’s not a bad job to have, which is why it could be enticing for Ryan to leave his job at ESPN.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings: See where the Denver Broncos’ defense ranks