INDIANAPOLIS — From the moment Denver defensive line coach Marcus Dixon left to take a similar position with the Minnesota Vikings, Jamar Cain was the leading candidate to replace him.
It's now a done deal as a source confirms Broncos head coach Sean Payton has promoted Cain from pass-rush specialist to defensive line coach.
Cain had coached football for 20 years at the high school and college level – including at Wyoming (2013), Oklahoma (2020-2021) and LSU (2022) – before he was hired 11 months ago by Payton to break in on an NFL staff.
Highly regarded in college, Cain coached Nik Bonitto for two years at Oklahoma. Bonitto was the Broncos' second-round draft pick in 2022. After registering 1.5 sacks as a rookie, Bonitto improved to 8.5 sacks in his second season of 2023, first with Cain as his coach.
As a defensive line coach, Cain will now directly work with the likes of Zach Allen, Matt Henningsen, Elijah Garcia, Jonathan Harris and D.J. Jones. Mike Purcell is a free agent.
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