Denver Broncos general manager George Paton is in danger of losing a trusted confidant to a division rival.
NFL Network reported Wednesday that Broncos front-office executive Kelly Kleine Van Calligan recently interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders' general manager job. Several local outlets, including 9NEWS and The Denver Post, confirmed the report.
Kleine Van Calligan, 32, was hired by the Broncos in 2021, reuniting with Paton from their time together in Minnesota where she finished her nine-year tenure as a manager of Vikings player personnel.
In Denver, Kleine Van Calligan's official title is executive director of football operations/special advisor to the general manager. She's a wearer of many hats, assisting with various personnel and scouting decisions, second in command only to Paton.
"She’s really the glue that keeps us all together, the details, all the little things," Paton said of Kleine Van Calligan in April 2022. "She keeps me in check, keeps all the scouts in check. She knows football, she knows the building, and she’s the glue that keeps everything together."
If hired, Kleine Van Calligan — one of seven purported candidates for the Raiders gig — would become the first female GM in NFL history.
The Broncos also would receive 2024 and 2025 third-round draft picks should Kleine Van Calligan defect to Vegas, as she's considered a diversity candidate under the league's new hiring initiative.
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