Every Denver Broncos head coach candidate ranked: Who will coach Russell Wilson in 2023?
Russell Wilson's team currently leads the NFL in head coaching candidates. According to the NFL's website. six candidates have either been scheduled or requested for a job interview. From first-time head coaches to long-term veterans, the team is casting a wide net. However, there can only be one head coach. Who would be the best fit for the team in 2023?
#6 - Los Angeles Rams DC Raheem Morris
The decision to ask about Raheem Morris was a head-scratcher. Sure, he was part of the Super Bowl-winning 2021 Los Angeles Rams squad. However, Rams fans have said that he was a liability for the team with his soft coverage calls. Now, after the 5-12 season, questions about the momentum of his career are screaming for answers.
More uncertainty for the Rams’ coaching staff: Broncos are requesting permission this morning to interview Rams’ defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for their HC job, per source.
This year, the Rams were ranked 19th in yards allowed per game, according to ESPN. Last year, the team was ranked 17th in yards allowed. Not only was the squad featuring players like Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald below average, it got worse this season.
#5 - Russel Wilson's Denver Broncos DC Ejiro Evero
Ejiro Evero was the only coaching spot that was praised all season. Even when the squad gave up 51 points to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day, Evero got a pass due to the team's excellence up to that point. For most of the season, the team was ranked in about the top five.
“He’s a brilliant man. … His communication skills are of a high level.”
Interim HC Jerry Rosburg on DC Ejiro Evero: https://t.co/PE0yaBpDq6
However, one can still be worried that the scheme has been figured out after a tough final game of the season, with cracks forming early and often as the holidays roll around. Also, as a first-time head coach, he would likely suffer plenty of time-management blunders in his first season like the last several head coaches Denver has hired, testing a fan base that is already beyond frustrated.
#4 - San Francisco 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans comes from the San Francisco 49ers and has been part of teams that have made the playoffs several times in recent years. If Wilson plans to make it to the playoffs, he'll also need playoff coaching experience when they get there. Ryans offers this and then some.
However, like Evero, he would likely have a rookie season of growing pains, and with Wilson aging every day, time may not allow for another season of stumbles like with Nathaniel Hackett.
#3 - Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn coached Wilson's teammates in Seattle during the Legion of Boom years. He's seen enough of Pete Carroll's speeches to know what culture to set for the quarterback. Also, having been his superior in the quarterback's formative years, it would be easier to get the quarterback to fully buy into his ideas and abandon "Let Russ Cook."
Quinn was also the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 when the team went to the Super Bowl, proving that he has plenty of playoff experience. His work with the Dallas Cowboys this season and in previous years has also been lauded.
#2 - University of Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh
Everywhere Jim Harbaugh has gone, he's won. With the 49ers in the early 2010s, he reached the Super Bowl and made a couple more playoff runs. With Michigan, he reached the college football playoffs this year, beating dozens of other teams for one out of four playoff spots.
As such, after experiencing Nathaniel Hackett's cool, calm, and collected demeanor, fans are clamoring for a hard-nosed replacement like the coach. Harbaugh coached against Wilson several times when he was with the 49ers in his younger days; getting Wilson to buy in would be easier than a rookie head coach.
#1 - Former New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton
Even as Drew Brees' health began to decline, Sean Payton found a way to manufacture offense in new, inventive ways with Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater. He's won a Super Bowl and his offenses always keep defenses guessing. Aside from Andy Reid, most agree Payton is one of the best offensive minds in football.
Pairing him and Wilson together would be a lot like getting a version of Drew Brees back. Both quarterbacks are shorter than most quarterbacks; the coach already has plenty of experience in managing that aspect. Will the Broncos get someone name-brand to help Wilson like Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, or Dan Quinn? On the other hand, will they be forced to try another rookie head coach?