Broncos Hire? Still Pursing 'Extremely Talented' Patriots Coach Matt Patricia
After interviewing New England Patriots coach Matt Patricia, the Denver Broncos went another direction at their defensive coordinator opening. Yet, even after hiring Vance Joseph, head coach Sean Payton isn't closing the book on hiring Patrica away from New England.
“I would say it’s a little early to answer that,” Payton said about the idea of still hiring Patricia. “The question was: Do I still possibly envision a role for Matt? And we just got here. He and I are gonna talk this week, and I wouldn’t rule that out, though."
Payton added: "If that possibly came to fruition, it would be for a few things. I’d certainly want to talk to Vance and our defensive coaches. But I know Matt well enough to know how smart he is and what he can contribute. So, we’ll see.”
While Patricia's stint as the offensive coordinator did not work out, he is still a respected defensive mind. Interviewing Patricia seemed to be a no-brainer for the Broncos and Payton, who, despite not hiring him as his coordinator, spoke highly of.
"We practiced against the Patriots. I think he’s extremely talented," Payton said. "He’s a guy that, I think they’ve won (several) Super Bowls while he was calling defenses. So, that was easy. Like, I knew right away I wanted to interview Matt. I knew right away I wanted to interview Vance. I’ve known those guys. Rex (Ryan) made a lot of sense.”
Even without hiring him as their coordinator, the Broncos still hold interest in Patricia at a time when his potential role in Foxboro is still unknown.
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