The Broncos may not list Evan Rothstein with a flashy title on the team website, but inside Denver’s building, his role carries real weight.
Sean Payton has a reputation for joking about how many coaches he keeps around, but this is one of those spots where the numbers make sense. Rothstein serves as Denver’s game-management coach, and Luca Evans of the Denver Post dug into just how much that job matters.
On paper, it can sound like one of those modern football labels that floats by without much meaning. In practice, it’s a key piece of how the Broncos handle film, situational football, and the late-game details that can swing a game.
Rothstein’s background traces back to SUNY, where he learned DVSport, the “next-gen” film-analysis system Evans wrote about. That work has made him a central figure in how Denver builds and breaks down its tape, even if Rothstein declined to be interviewed for the story and doesn’t have an official title listed on the team website.
Pat Bryant didn’t need the paperwork to explain what Rothstein means in close games.
“Very, bro,” Bryant said when he was asked how imporant Rothstein is. “When we do two-minute drills, situational, Sean (Payton) kinda steps to the side and lets Evan go to work.
He’ll turn around, ask Evan questions. We come in here, we watch film on it, (Evan) will tell us what we did wrong.
“So, he’s basically like another offensive coordinator, for our situational football.”
That kind of responsibility stands out even more because, as Evans reported, only three coaches on Denver’s staff speak to the team consistently. Payton is one.
Senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt is another, addressing the team Saturday night before games. Rothstein is the third, and Evans noted that he “goes in-depth each week on situational and late-game mechanics.”
Payton gave his own version of that value back in late July.
“He’s been a tremendous asset, and almost like an air traffic controller on gameday where - his mind, it’s racing with timeouts, and clock and situation,” Payton said in late July.
Rothstein fits into a broader league trend, too. NFL teams are leaning harder on analytics coaches with a range of titles, all of them trying to turn raw data into something coaches can actually use.
It’s easy to poke fun at the job description. It’s harder to ignore what it can mean when the game is tight and every decision gets magnified.
Evans also spoke with another game-management “coach” who agreed to talk only off the record and anonymously. That coach said he and others in similar roles would love to move closer to the play-calling side someday.
“I don’t want to speak for Evan, but guys who - I’m assuming like, Evan and myself, and some of these guys that are more on the coaching side, we’d all love to get to that point where we’re calling plays one day,” he said. “I think it’s trending that way.
I think we’re getting more and more coaching responsibilities every year. I think it’s either going to take a special head coach to give that opportunity, or a special ownership.”
“I think one of us just has to find a way to prove it, and get that first job.”
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