DeMeco Ryans Broncos September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

A hot coaching candidate emerged on Thursday as the reported frontrunner for the open Denver Broncos job. The NFL world went abuzz when 9News Denver reporter Mike Klis revealed that DeMeco Ryans is reportedly the Broncos’ top choice.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has emerged as a top candidate to become the Denver Broncos‘ next head coach,” Klis wrote.

Ryans is currently the defensive coordinator for the white-hot San Francisco 49ers. The Niners ride a 12-game winning streak into this Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. So, if the Broncos wanted to interview Ryans a second time, they’d have to wait until Sunday. But despite that, he’s reportedly the building’s top choice regardless.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan hired Ryans in 2017 as a defensive quality control coach. Ryans rose up the ranks after three seasons as an inside linebackers coach from 2018-2020. He served as defensive coordinator for the Niners in the last two seasons. To his credit, the defense played tenaciously under him. They ranked as one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2022. Arguably, they’ve been the backbone of the team as they’ve gotten hot along with the sensational Brock Purdy.

The NFL world reacted to the news that Ryans is the Broncos’ reported top choice. Reactions were from all around the spectrum.

[9News Denver]

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Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022