Report: Broncos interviewed Kris Richard for their defensive coordinator position

According to NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport, the Denver Broncos have interviewed the former Saints co-defensive coordinator for their defensive coordinator job. However, Rapoport notes that Rex Ryan is still considered the favorite for the job.

Richard is a well-traveled coach who joined Sean Payton’s coaching staff in 2021 as a Saints defensive backs coach. He was then promoted to co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach in 2022 but decided to move on from him after this season.

Before his stint with the Saints, he served as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator in 2018 and 2019. Before that, he was elevated through the Seattle Seahawk coaching ranks before becoming their defensive coordinator from 2015 through 2017.

He now joins Sean Desai, Rex Ryan, Christian Parker, potentially Vance Joseph, and Mike Zimmer as candidates to join Sean Payton’s staff as their defensive coordinator. They did interview Brian Flores as well, but he ended up joining the Minnesota Vikings as their defensive coordinator. However, as Rapoport notes, Ryan has emerged as the favorite for the job.

It seems like Ryan is the Broncos' preferred choice as their defensive coordinator and we are just finding out the other candidates they interviewed or wanted to interview throughout the process. I do not think Richard is a top candidate for the defensive coordinator job with the Broncos, but could potentially have a role on Payton’s staff in some capacity.

In the end, it does appear to be Rex Ryan’s job to lose but with the Broncos, nothing is as simple as it appears. So we shall see how it all plays out in the coming days.