Rex Ryan ‘nearly’ got Broncos’ defensive coordinator job in 2023

Rex Ryan “nearly” got the Broncos’ defensive coordinator job in 2023, according to NFL Network.

In passing along a report about Rex Ryan’s 2024 job prospects in a tweet on Wednesday., NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport described him as a coach candidate who “was nearly the #Broncos DC last year.”

This is the first time we’ve seen a reporter — national or local — indicate that Ryan was close to getting Denver’s defensive coordinator job in 2023. The Broncos eventually hired Vance Joseph and Ryan later implied on ESPN that Denver did not meet his contract demands.

Joseph’s defense struggled early in the season and Ryan blasted the unit on ESPN multiple times before the Broncos turned things around. ESPN’s Pat McAfee even reported that Denver was considering an in-season DC switch to Ryan, but such a change never happened.

At the time of publication, the Broncos have not fired any of their coaches from the 2023 staff (at least not that we’re aware of), and it appears that Joseph is set to return as DC in 2024.

Ryan, meanwhile, is now a candidate for the Dallas Cowboys’ DC job.

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