As expected, the Jets’ next offensive coordinator will be Tanner Engstrand, New York’s hire on this front is being finalized, as first reported by KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Early today, it was learned Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley turned down the Jets’ interest in adding him as their OC. With the team’s top candidate off the market, Engstrand become the candidate to watch. Prior to the news of this hire, ESPN’s Rich Cimini confirmed Engstrand was departing the Lions’ staff after working there since 2020.
The 42-year-old overlapped with new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn in Detroit. Engstrand represented one of the Lions’ top internal candidates to replace Ben Johnson, given his role as pass-game coordinator from 2022-24. Detroit made an external OC hire, however, opening the door for Engstrand to head elsewhere for his first offensive coordinator gig at the NFL level.
The Jets brought in Nathaniel Hackett as a familiar face to Aaron Rodgers in 2023. Things did not go according to plan that year, though, and then-head coach Robert Saleh attempted to bring in another voice on the offensive staff during the offseason. No such hire was made, and Saleh’s midseason firing coincided with Hackett being replaced as play-caller by Todd Downing. The latter had Rodgers available for the full season (unlike Hackett in 2023), but on the whole New York’s production did not match expectations.
The team’s poor showing resulted in a Glenn replacing Jeff Ulbrich as head coach, and Darren Mougey being tapped as Joe Douglas‘ general manager successor. Glenn has been busy filling out his staff since, including the expected move of hiring Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator. While the Jets will have an experienced staffer leading the way on defense as a result, Engtrand is by contrast a much less proven choice for OC.
The latter has, on the other hand, played a key role for a Lions passing attack which has seen major success over the past three years. Detroit has ranked no worse than eighth in production through the air each season during that span, and Engtrand will be counted on to improve the Jets’ efficiency in that department moving forward. It remains to be seen if Rodgers will still be New York’s QB1 in 2025, but regardless of what happens on that front the Jets will hope to find stability with this hire.
In addition to three other outside candidates, the Jets were also linked on the OC front to Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell. He could be in line for a larger role on Detroit’s staff in the near future given the losses that unit has suffered recently, but if he too were to depart the Jets would represent a logical landing spot with Engstrand in place. In the meantime, Glenn’s efforts to build up his staff will now move to the matter of positional coaches.
Hard to be mad that Glenn brought in the guy who was widely seen to be Ben Johnson’s successor. Every first time coordinator is a gamble, but I vastly prefer this candidate to a known mediocre retread.
Agreed. Not like we’re a destination top OCs would want to come to, so we have to take a gamble. Its a good gamble though
Detroit’s coaching staff is getting picked apart.