Multiple people with knowledge of the process said Green Bay, LA Rams and Atlanta asked to speak to Cowboys DL coach Aden Durde for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) January 26, 2024
Per multiple sources, the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers have requested permission to speak with Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde in regards to their staff openings. Durde, 44, began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Cowboys in 2014. He returned to Dallas as their defensive line coach under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in 2021, whom he worked with in Atlanta.
Durde’s defensive line created problems across the league and his unit was amongst the highest-rated in many pass-rushing metrics. Durde helped develop Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons and interior defensive lineman Osa Odigizuwa.
Considered for some time to be an up-and-comer within the coaching ranks, the English-born Durde participated in the league’s Coach Accelerator Program last spring. The two-year-old program was designed to give young assistant coaches of color personal exposure to NFL owners and has been reserved for staffers their nominating teams believe to be rising stars of the coaching world.
Durde has history with the newly-named Falcons head coach. Raheem Morris was the team’s wide receivers coach when Durde arrived in Atlanta as a quality control coach on the defensive side. Durde was promoted to outside linebackers coach for the 2020 season, when Morris took over as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator and then ultimately transitioned to interim head coach when Quinn was fired five weeks into the season.
The Rams are seeking a new defensive coordinator to replace Morris in L.A., but are also said to be looking at ex-Chargers coach Brandon Staley.
The Packers are seeking a replacement at DC as well after this week’s firing of Joe Barry.
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Given Durde’s long history with Quinn, it’s also conceivable that he may follow Quinn to either Seattle or Washington, should Quinn be the head coach hire.
And then, of course, if Quinn leaves, it also leaves Dallas with a DC opening. It’s all part of the head-spinning shell game known as the coaching hiring cycle, and now Durde’s name looks to be firmly in the mix, too.
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