As the Baltimore Ravens look to the future, bringing back a piece of the past is what really has everyone buzzing.
Earlier this week, the Ravens brought back Chuck Pagano, who previously worked in Baltimore from 2008-11 and became defensive coordinator in his final season, as their new senior secondary coach. Pagano, 64, originally retired following the 2020 season, but now returns to his old stomping grounds once again.
The reaction to the move has been overwhelmingly positive, not just from the outside, but from the inside as well.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," veteran pass-rusher Kyle Van Noy shared his excitement to have Pagano back in the building, even if he won't be working with him directly.
"He's got that old school juice that you need to have in the building," Van Noy said. "The sky's the limit for that group, leading with Nate Wiggins now and Kyle Hamilton, who's an avatar. It's a great group of guys in the secondary and we're excited to get him in the building."
Van Noy, 33, is the oldest player on the Ravens' defense, beating out defensive end Brent Urban by just 40 days. Additionally, he spent much of his career playing for Bill Belichick, the epitome of an old-school coach, so it's no surprise that he would like Pagano's approach.
That said, it's primarily the younger players who stand to benefit from Pagano's arrival. Wiggins is the youngest player on the roster at just 21 years old, and Hamilton's not far behind at 23. There are veterans in the secondary, with 28-year-old Marlon Humphrey being the most notable example, but the Ravens' key players on the back end are pretty young on average.
Pagano is a respected head coach around the league, so it will be interesting to see what he can do after four years away.
