The Atlanta Falcons are having a change of heart when it comes to one of their top coaches.
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, the Falcons are allowing defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the same position.
Last week, the Falcons blocked the Jaguars' request to interview Nielsen.
Nielsen, 44, just finished his first season as the Falcons' defensive coordinator after replacing the retired Dean Pees. Atlanta's defense took tremendous strides under Nielsen, finishing 11th in yards allowed after finishing 27th in the same stat a year earlier.
Before coming to Atlanta, Nielsen spent six years as the defensive line coach for the rival New Orleans Saints. The LSU Tigers offered him a defensive coordinator gig in 2021, but he opted to remain with the Saints instead. He also had several college coaching jobs prior to his arrival in New Orleans.
The Jaguars, who lost five of their final six games to miss the playoffs, are in the hunt for a new defensive coordinator as they fired Mike Caldwell on Black Monday after two years with the club.
It remains to be seen if Nielsen will remain in Atlanta once the Falcons hire their new head coach, but at the very least, it seems like there could be a possibility for a third coordinator for the defense in as many years.
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