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On the Monday episode of his show, Pat McAfee said he’s heard rumors that the Denver Broncos are going to make a change at the defensive coordinator position and that one name to keep an eye on is current ESPN NFL analyst Rex Ryan.
Ryan, a former head coach for the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, made his name as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and was considered to be one of the best defensive minds in the game in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The 60-year-old Ryan, son of the legendary Buddy Ryan and twin brother of former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, has also proven to be a master motivator, as well, as his boisterous and loyal personality has long made him a favorite amongst players.
“There’s rumors right now… the Broncos might be making a change at DC (defensive coordinator), allegedly,” McAfee said.
“I don’t know when, I’ve just been getting words, messages sent to me. And it might be old good teeth himself, Rex Ryan, potentially. That name has been in the radar [sic], I guess, for a potential return to defensive coordinating, and that team, potentially, to the Denver Broncos, allegedly.”
McAfee added that while he does work at ESPN, that does not mean he has any insider knowledge of the situation in Denver.
“Now, we work at ESPN so everyone is going to think we heard this from within ESPN. Remember, we’re in Indianapolis, everyone else is in New York and Bristol, this is not from anybody within ESPN. This is just what people are hearing around the league.
Allegedly the Denver Broncos could be making a change at DC..
Rex Ryan is potentially in the mix #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FYvRkrrc5L
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 16, 2023
Insider knowledge that McAfee does have, however, is a conversation that he had with Ryan in the Get Up! greenroom about if and when he plans on returning to coaching.
According to McAfee, given how much fun Ryan is having on TV, in addition to the money he’s being paid by ESPN, the offer would need to be quite enticing for him to return to the league. This makes the Broncos a fit, as McAfee notes, because they have the league’s richest owners in the Walton family and there is no salary cap for coaches’ salaries.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton certainly has previous connections to the Ryan family as Rex’s twin brother Rob served as his defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints from 2013 to 2015.
Ryan last coached in the league seven years ago when he was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2015 to 2016.
Prior to that, he was the Jets head coach from 2009 to 2014 and took the team to back-to-back AFC Championships in his first season. During his time with the Ravens from 1999 to 2008, Ryan served as the team’s defensive line coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach.