Rex Ryan reportedly did his due diligence on a potential NFL return earlier this month, but that doesn’t mean he’s champing at the bit to get back on the sidelines.
Ryan, who’s been out of the league since he was fired by the Buffalo Bills at the end of the 2016 season, reportedly interviewed for the vacant defensive coordinator position with the Broncos. Another report indicated the former New York Jets head coach is a “top candidate” for the job on Sean Payton’s staff in Denver.
NFL insider Adam Schefter, Ryan’s ESPN colleague since 2016, provided an update on the Ryan-Broncos courtship Sunday morning.
“Former Jets and Bills HC and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan interviewed Saturday in Denver for the Broncos DC job,” Schefter tweeted. “Ryan and former Broncos HC Vance Joseph are amongst a handful of candidates for the job; Ryan has told ESPN he would only leave the network ‘for the perfect situation.'”
This probably is the right approach for Ryan to take. He turned 60 years old in mid-December and has a very cushy gig at the Worldwide Leader. If he’s going to get back to the grind that is coaching in the NFL, it should be with a team that boasts a talented defense and has a real shot at contending.
The Broncos weren’t relevant in the Super Bowl conversation in 2022, but with Payton now at the helm, that could change in a hurry.
