Two weeks after dismissing Mike Caldwell and his entire defensive staff, the Jacksonville Jaguars have found their next defensive coordinator, hiring former Atlanta Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen, as ESPN reported.
Jacksonville initially requested to interview Nielsen weeks ago, per ESPN, but the Falcons declined to make him available, since his new job would've been a lateral move. Atlanta recently reversed course, however, and now Nielsen is relocating. The DC also drew recent interest from the Eagles, according to The Athletic, after Philadelphia dismissed Sean Desai on Sunday.
Nielsen, 44, oversaw a dramatic improvement from the Falcons' defense as a first-time coordinator, guiding Atlanta's unit to a borderline top-10 finish a year after the club ranked 27th in total defense. His pass "D" ranked No. 8 in the NFL, and safety Jessie Bates III earned an All-Pro nod under his watch.
Prior to joining Atlanta, Nielsen spent six years with the Saints, first as a defensive line coach (2017-2020), then assistant head coach (2021) under Sean Payton, and co-defensive coordinator and DL coach (2022) under Dennis Allen.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, had the NFL's No. 22-ranked defense in 2022, but particularly struggled down the stretch, as Jacksonville finished 1-5 to miss the postseason. Caldwell's "D" surrendered more than 29 points per game during that span.
