Ryan

Nielsen

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported today that Nielsen is being hired as the Vikings’ new defensive run game coordinator, though prior reporting suggested he may also coach the defensive line. He spent the 2025 season as a senior defensive assistant with the Bills. He served as the Jaguars (2024) and Falcons’ (2023) defensive coordinator in recent seasons.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman is the first to report the hiring. After being one-and-done as the Jaguars defensive coordinator, Nielsen now lands with the Bills as an assistant to Sean McDermott and his staff. Nielsen is now on his fourth team in four seasons after previously working with the Saints, Falcons, and Jaguars. In addition to his experience as a defensive coordinator, Nielsen has also worked as a defensive line coach at the college and pro game dating back to 2005 when he was hired to Ole Miss’ staff.

Nielsen spent one season with the Falcons and helped turn them into a top-10 pass defense. They also ranked 12th in EPA per play and finished 18th in points allowed. It was his first time serving as a defensive play-caller, but prior to that, he served in a variety of defensive roles with the Saints from 2017 through 2022. Nielsen will now be tasked with turning around a Jaguars defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed and totaled only 40 sacks. While turning around the Jaguars shouldn’t be the most difficult job, Nielsen will have some work to do to correct the team’s issues in the secondary.

Nielsen replaces longtime Falcons DC Dean Pees after Pees retired this offseason. The Saints’ defensive line coach since 2017, Nielsen was promoted to co-defensive coordinator this year under HC Dennis Allen. New Orleans has had one of the league’s better defensive fronts with Nielsen, finishing top 10 in sacks five of the last six seasons. Nielsen ran a base 4-3 in New Orleans and will likely shift to a four-man front in Atlanta. The move to Atlanta reunites Nielsen with GM Terry Fontenot, who was hired from the Saints in 2021.

After interviewing with the Vikings on Monday, Nielsen was back in the hot seat on Tuesday, interviewing with an NFC South rival. The Falcons are “coming down the home stretch of their search” for a defensive coordinator, according to Garafolo, as the team has already interviewed a handful of candidates since former defensive coordinator Dean Pees announced his retirement at the end of the season. Nielsen’s only job as an NFL coach has been with the Saints, who first hired him as a defensive line coach in 2017.

Nielsen becomes the first person to interview for the Vikings’ defensive coordinator vacancy since the team parted ways with Ed Donatell last week. The Saints gave Nielsen his first and only NFL coaching job to date when they hired him as their defensive line coach in 2017. He was promoted to assistant head coach ahead of the 2021 season and named as the co-defensive coordinator for 2022. As he continues to climb the coaching ranks, Nielsen should draw more opportunities with other teams in the near future.

In addition to DL coach, Nielsen was also the assistant head coach under Sean Payton last season after he was in the process for the Packers’ DC opening last offseason. Nielsen is relatively new to calling plays, so Richard’s experience will be a big help there. Nielsen is a rising star in the coaching world.

Nielsen has been the Saints’ defensive line coach the last four seasons. He was offered LSU’s defensive coordinator position this offseason, but his contract with the Saints prevented him from taking it. Nielsen would replace Mike Pettine if he takes the Green Bay job. The Packers have also been linked to Browns DL coach Chris Kiffin, Eagles DL coach Matt Burke, Chargers defensive passing game coordinator Joe Barry, Washington DB coach Chris Harris, Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero, Falcons senior assistant Bob Sutton, and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

The Saints have lost a couple of pieces in their front office and coaching staff this offseason, and Nielsen was just offered the LSU defensive coordinator. He leveraged that offering into a better title with more responsibilities. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes Nielsen is viewed as a future head coach by those inside the league. Nielsen has been the Saints’ defensive line coach for four seasons.