John Elway’s former right hand man is back in the NFL… but not in Denver
May 11, 2022, 9:30 AM
As John Elway’s role with the Broncos continues to diminish, his former right hand man has found a new NFL gig.
Several outlets reported late Tuesday that Matt Russell has landed a front office job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mike Klis of 9NEWS confirmed with his sources that is indeed the case.
Russell “retired” from football after the 2020 season, around the same time George Paton replaced Elway as Denver’s GM and the greatest player in Broncos history took on a new title with the team. But apparently Russell got the itch to return, as Eagles GM Howie Roseman has re-hired him. The two worked together in Philadelphia from 2006-2008.
Russell joined the Broncos in 2009, brought in by then head coach Josh McDaniels as the director of college scouting. He quickly gained Elway’s trust when he re-joined the franchise a couple of years later and Russell was Denver’s director of player personnel from 2012-2019. He was the VP of player personnel in 2020 before the one-year retirement.
A lot of CU fans will remember Russell as well, considering he was a great linebacker for the Buffs from 1993-1996. He had a brief playing career with the Detroit Lions, before some bad luck knee injuries forced him to give up on the field work in 1999.
It’s nice to see Russell get back in the league, even if the Broncos aren’t the team he’s working for. It’s clear that “retiring” was probably a stopgap when Denver shook up its front office last offseason; after all Russell is only 48-years-old.
Darren Mougey now has Russell’s old job with the Broncos, officially taking on the title of Paton’s assistant GM.
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