Although the Jets’ Adam Gase era resulted in the franchise tumbling toward the NFL’s basement, the franchise will hire one of Gase’s former top assistants. Robert Saleh will bring aboard Matt Burke, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
A Dolphins staffer during each of Gase’s three Miami seasons, Burke finished that stint with two years as the team’s defensive coordinator. His Jets role will not focus solely on defense, with Garafolo adding Burke will join the Jets to help with game management. This position usually involves situational input.
Burke, 45, joined the Eagles’ staff after the Dolphins pulled the plug on the Gase regime. The Eagles hired Burke as a defensive assistant in 2019, but he shifted to Philadelphia’s defensive line coach and run-game coordinator last year. Burke popped up on the DC radar in February, when he interviewed for the Packers’ vacancy. Green Bay ended up hiring Joe Barry for that post, however.
This will be Burke and Saleh’s first time working together. Both 40-somethings entered the NFL in the mid-2000s and have worked as defensive staffers throughout their respective careers. Burke has been in the league since the 2004 season.