He then joined the Baltimore Ravens as a linebacker coach in 1999, where he was a part of their Super Bowl XXXV winning team that beat the New York Giants.

He spent the next two years working as an NFL analyst for ESPN and as the defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders from 2020 until being dismissed midway through the 2023 season.

[3] Del Rio was selected out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 22nd round (550th overall) of the 1981 MLB Draft,[4] but opted instead to accept a scholarship from the University of Southern California to play both football and baseball.

As a senior, Del Rio earned consensus All-American honors, was a runner-up for the Lombardi Award given to the nation's best lineman or linebacker, and was named along with quarterback Tim Green co-MVP of the Rose Bowl.

As a rookie, Jack started nine games at right inside linebacker, tied a franchise record with five fumble recoveries (including one returned for a 22-yard touchdown) and earned NFL All-rookie honors.

In August 1987, Del Rio was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fifth round draft choice,[9] reuniting him with former Saints defensive coordinator John Paul Young.

Throughout this period of time, Del Rio and teammates picketed outside of Arrowhead Stadium and were vigilantly watching for replacement players attempting to enter the facility.

Del Rio started twelve contests at strongside linebacker, while sharing the position with David Howard in the final eight games, playing in the first and third quarters, finishing the season with 58 tackles, two fumble recoveries (including one returned for a 57-yard touchdown) and one pass defensed.

The next year, Del Rio started all sixteen games at strongside linebacker, making 104 tackles (third on the team), 1.5 sacks, four quarterback pressures and two passes defensed.

[14] In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could avoid paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap by drafting linebackers, so they allowed players like Del Rio, Ken Norton Jr., Darrin Smith, Dixon Edwards, Robert Jones, and Randall Godfrey to leave via free agency.

On June 2, 1996, Del Rio signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, reuniting him with former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson.

The mantra "keep chopping wood", introduced by Del Rio during the season, was intended to indicate how the team would slowly whittle away the huge obstacles in front of them.

From his years with the Jaguars, Del Rio holds the NFL record for the longest tenure of any head coach to have never won a division title.

[32] In 2019, he was under consideration to become the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, but talks ultimately ended after new head coach Zac Taylor decided he was not a fit.

[33] On January 2, 2020, Del Rio was hired by the Washington Football Team to serve as their defensive coordinator under head coach Ron Rivera.

[39] He resigned on November 11, 2024, after being arrested days prior for hitting a street sign and breaking a fence in Madison, Wisconsin, while operating a car impaired.

[40] On January 27, 2025, Del Rio was hired as the head coach and defensive coordinator for the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF).

[44] The couple have four children: Lauren, Hope, Aubrey Jean, and Luke,[44] who played quarterback for the Florida Gators in the mid-2010s and is an offensive analyst for the Washington Huskies.