Rod Woodson: 'It'll Be More Difficult' for Hall of Famers to Get NFL Coach Jobs

Former NFL defensive back Rod Woodson said it is "more difficult" for Hall of Fame players to get assistant coaching jobs because head coaches prefer lower-profile voices.

"I think having that gold jacket and having that respect walking in the room, sometimes other people don't want that in the room," Woodson told TMZ Sports. "They want one alpha in the room, and I'm not a real alpha where I want somebody's job. I just love talking ball."

Woodson has coached for the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Raiders but has been out of the NFL since 2017. He noted at his past stops that other coaches would tell him "he's not a Hall of Famer" when Woodson tried to instruct a player.

"I think it'll be more difficult for Hall of Famers to get in it and stay in it, just for the fact that most of the coaches don't like that respect leaving that room or that area and going to somewhere else," Woodson said.

Woodson noted he knows of other Hall of Famer players, specifically Ed Reed, who are struggling to get coaching positions. Reed was an assistant defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2016, but that has been his only coaching job since he officially retired in 2015.

The only Hall of Famer currently in the NFL is Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Only seven Hall of Fame players have gone on to be NFL head coaches.