Report: Broncos interview with Jim Harbaugh ‘over two hours’

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos brass wasted no time after the end of the season beginning their coaching interviews.

Jim Harbaugh led off the process Monday with a Zoom interview. Next is defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who will interview Tuesday.

Harbaugh’s conversation with the Broncos’ search committee — headlined by owners Rob Walton, Carrie Walton Penner, Greg Penner and Condoleezza Rice, along with general manager George Paton — was “over two hours,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

From @gmfb: More on Jim Harbaugh’s interview with the #Broncos, plus where things stand as the #Texans and #Panthers ramp up their searches. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/eyABzf4Me4

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 10, 2023

For what it’s worth, Paton said last year that the team’s first interview with eventual hire Nathaniel Hackett was four-and-a-half hours. However, that interview was in person, and not over Zoom.

The interview process is different this year because of two bylaw changes made last March.

1. A team cannot have any kind of interview with a coach from another club until three days after their regular-season finale.
2. No in-person interviews with coaching candidates currently working for other teams are allowed until after the wild-card round.

Thus, the Broncos can talk with the three candidates currently with other teams — Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris and DeMeco Ryans — as early as Wednesday, but only in a virtual format.

The earliest the Broncos can have an in-person interview with any of them is Jan. 17 — one day after wild-card weekend concludes.

The second rule is also why the Broncos cannot interview Sean Payton in person until Jan. 17. Even though Payton does not work for the Saints, they still hold his rights because he left with three years remaining on his contract. Thus, he falls under the purview of that restriction.

So, while the Broncos can’t do everything they would want to right now, they can begin the process.

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