Jets Hire Frank Reich As OC
After the Jets parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand last week, Frank Reich quickly became the favorite to replace him. The Jets will indeed hire Reich as their offensive coordinator, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 64-year-old Reich, who conducted his second interview with the Jets on Tuesday, beat out fellow veteran coaches Greg Roman and Darrell Bevell for the job. He’ll now return to the NFL after serving as the interim head coach at Stanford in 2025.
An NFL quarterback from 1985-1998, Reich spent the ’96 season with the Jets. Former defensive back and current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was Reich’s teammate in New York. Thirty years later, Glenn is bringing in Reich to boost an offense that finished 29th in both points and yards this past season.
“Frank has a rare combination of experience, creativity, and calm under pressure,” Glenn said in a team-issued statement. “He’s lived this game from every angle — as a quarterback in this league and as a coach who’s led offenses at the highest level. He is unique in his ability to see the game for what it is right now and adapt when appropriate. Frank understands offense and how to utilize the strengths of players. I am looking forward to how he will help this team have success.”
Reich, who began his coaching career as an intern with the Colts in 2006, later worked as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15 and the Eagles’ OC between 2016-17. After winning a Super Bowl with backup QB Nick Foles in his last year in Philadelphia, Reich returned to Indianapolis in 2018 as its head coach.
In four-plus years with the Colts, Reich combined for a 40-33-1 record and two playoff berths despite instability under center. Andrew Luck was the Colts’ starter in Reich’s first year, but after his out-of-nowhere retirement in August 2019, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz each held the role in the ensuing three seasons. There was more upheaval at the position in 2022, when Matt Ryan succeeded Wentz. The Ryan-led Colts got off to 3-5-1 start that year, leading to Reich’s ouster.
Reich immediately received a second chance as Carolina’s head coach in 2023, former No. 1 pick Bryce Young‘s rookie year, but it was a disastrous stint. With the Panthers off to a 1-10 start, they pulled the plug on Reich. He spent 2024 out of football before reuniting with Luck, Stanford’s general manager, for a year.
In his return to the pros, Reich will once again enter into a less-than-ideal QB situation. The Jets, who easily finished last in passing in 2025, don’t have an in-house answer at the position. They could re-sign journeyman Tyrod Taylor, but he’s better off in a backup role.
While Justin Fields inked a two-year deal with $30MM in guarantees last March, the Jets are likely to release him after a rough season in which Glenn benched him for Taylor. Brady Cook made four starts as an undrafted rookie, but he didn’t look like any kind of solution during that stretch.
With the league’s fourth-most spending space (around $83.57MM, per Over the Cap), a pair of first-round picks and four selections in the top 44, the Jets are in position to upgrade at QB this offseason. That would help Reich’s cause, as would re-signing soon-to-be free agent running back Breece Hall. As of now, though, there’s little high-end offensive talent on hand outside of wide receiver Garrett Wilson, tight end Mason Taylor, and tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou.
Glenn made it known during his OC search that he wanted Engstrand’s replacement to work as the “head coach of the offense.” With the experienced Reich now running the unit, Glenn will take on a bigger role on the defensive side in 2026. Glenn, who hired first-time D-coordinator Brian Duker last week, will call the defensive plays next season.
Giants Hire Dawn Aponte As Senior VP
Dawn Aponte is leaving the league office for an executive position with the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Aponte will serve as the Giants’ senior vice president in football operations.
This ends a nine-year run with the league for Aponte, a Staten Island native who had been the NFL’s chief administrator of football operations since 2017. Working with a team isn’t anything new for Aponte, however. Since beginning as an accountant in 1994, Aponte has garnered significant experience with the Jets, Browns and Dolphins.
In her seven years before joining the league office, Aponte held three different titles in Miami, including executive VP of football administration for five seasons. Joe Schoen, now the Giants’ general manager, was a Dolphins employee during Aponte’s entire tenure with the organization.
In 2024, eight years after leaving the Dolphins, Aponte interviewed for the Chargers’ GM job. Then seeking a replacement for the fired Tom Telesco, the Chargers went on to hire Joe Hortiz. The Jets also interviewed Aponte for their GM opening before hiring Darren Mougey last year, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.
Aponte will now take on an important role in New York in replacing Kevin Abrams, whom the Giants let go last month after almost three decades with the franchise. Abrams’ ouster came shortly after the Giants hired head coach John Harbaugh, who has worked to reshape the organization early in his tenure.
Like Abrams, Aponte is known as a skilled contract negotiator. Aponte, who has a degree from New York Law School, will deal with matters related to contracts and the salary cap as a member of the Giants’ front office.
Jets Conduct Second OC Interview With Frank Reich
As coordinator hirings continue to take place around the league, the Jets appear to be nearing a decision for their OC gig. Frank Reich is set to conduct an in-person interview today, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. 
Reich has already spoken with New York once, and this follow-up is a clear sign of mutual interest between the parties. As of one week ago, conversations between Reich and the Jets were progressing, so today’s update comes as little surprise. Per Rosenblatt and the New York Post’s Brian Costello, an OC hire could be made as early as Tuesday.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has made a number of changes to his staff recently. He initially kept 2025 offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand in the fold, but a demotion was in store. After discussing the matter, Glenn and Engstrand ultimately decided to part ways. The search for a new OC continues, but Reich is clearly a name to watch for New York.
The 64-year-old has been an NFL staffer dating back to 2006. He has worked as a coordinator on two occasions (Chargers 2014-15, Eagles 2016-17). Those stints led Reich to his first head coaching opportunity with the Colts. A run of almost five full years in Indianapolis was followed by a disastrous Panthers HC gig which lasted less than one season. Reich was dismissed late in the 2023 campaign, and he was out of coaching last year.
Glenn’s search for a new defensive coordinator recently resulted in a reunion with former Lions colleague Brian Duker. Early in the process of interviewing candidates, it did not appear as though Glenn would call plays on defense. That is now the expectation, however, something which made an impact on staffers like Don Martindale as they contemplated joining the Jets. An increased level of defensive involvement on Glenn’s part will make his OC hire particularly important.
New York finished 29th in both total and scoring offense in 2025. Improvement in many areas will be sought out during the offseason, with the quarterback position unsettled as things stand. Before a solution can be found on that front, a coordinator addition will need to be made. Reich could soon be in the fold, depending on how he fares in his second interview.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/2/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures deals on Monday. Here are the latest updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- QB Will Grier
Kansas City Chiefs
- QB Jake Haener
New York Jets
- DT Jack Heflin
Haener, 26, was offered a futures deal by the Saints, per Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune, but sought a better opportunity instead. Kansas City may present one. The Chiefs only have one quarterback – Chris Oladokun – under contract for the 2026 season other than Patrick Mahomes, who will spend the next several months working his back from a torn ACL. Mahomes is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, so the Chiefs will be evaluating alternative quarterback options this offseason. It seems like Haener will be one of them.
AFC East Notes: Hall, Hill, Patriots, Bills
It is fairly well known the Jets have wanted to retain Breece Hall. After all, they rejected a Chiefs offer believed to include a fourth-round pick at the deadline. The Jets eyed at least a third, and they retained the four-year starter as he finished his first 1,000-yard rushing season. As the likely top running back set to be available in free agency, Hall could command a salary around $12MM per year. With Aaron Glenn continually speaking highly of the former second-round pick, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini mentions the franchise tag as a possibility to ensure he stays in New York. The running back tag is expected to cost more than $14MM, per OverTheCap, though precise tag figures are not yet known. The transition tag could also be a possibility, per Cimini. That is expected to come in just south of $12MM, though the Jets would not be entitled to any compensation if Hall signed an offer sheet and departed.
The Jets are projected to hold the fourth-most cap space, so a tag would be a way to ensure Hall does not bolt for a contending team. Rumors ahead of the deadline pointed to the RB wanting to be moved, though he denied he requested a trade. Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- Tyrod Taylor played out a two-year, $12MM Jets contract. After backing up Aaron Rodgers in 2024, Taylor began this season as Justin Fields‘ understudy. The team then turned to Taylor after Fields struggled, but by season’s end, overmatched rookie Brady Cook was taking snaps. A November report indicated the Jets were likely done with Taylor, but Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the team has interest in re-signing him. If the Jets re-sign Taylor, he would be placed into a third offensive system in three years as the team hires a new OC. That, of course, would not be new for Taylor — a veteran of six teams during a 15-year career. The Jets retaining Taylor would give them some continuity as they search for a new starter.
- The NFL is investigating allegations from Tyreek Hill‘s wife, who has accused the All-Pro wide receiver of domestic abuse over an extended period. The league is reviewing parts of Hill’s deposition in his divorce case with Keeta Vaccaro, the Miami Herald’s Grethel Aguila notes. Vaccaro filed for divorce and alleged eight incidents of domestic violence. Hill is no stranger to such accusations. He was arrested in 2014, pleading guilty to assaulting his girlfriend in college, and was later the subject of an NFL investigation into abuse claims by the same woman — the mother of his oldest children — in 2019. Hill and Vaccaro’s divorce trial is expected to begin in June. Hill, 31, is expected to be a Dolphins cap casualty soon.
- Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was arrested on a domestic assault charge late last year, and the Boston Globe’s Travis Anderson indicates the sixth-year defender’s arraignment has been pushed back to March. The arraignment was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but Barmore’s lawyer pushed for a delay. This will prevent Barmore from making a court appearance during Super Bowl week. Any suspension for the high-priced D-lineman would likely come before or during the 2026 season.
- Jordan Phillips has enjoyed three stints with the Bills, returning after being released by the Cardinals and Cowboys. Phillips’ third Bills stay came after the Cowboys moved on midway through the 2024 season; he re-signed with Buffalo in August. The veteran defensive tackle spent the past two years in Buffalo and does not want to relocate again if he continues his career. Phillips, 33, is amenable to continuing his career but only wants to do so in Buffalo, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets.
Greg Roman, Darrell Bevell Among Finalists For Jets’ OC Job
FEBRUARY 1: It appears Bevell is another finalist. Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports that Bevell will take an in-person interview with the Jets on Monday.
JANUARY 31: After parting with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, the Jets plan to narrow their search for his replacement down to three finalists, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The list includes Greg Roman, who will have an in-person interview with the Jets early next week.
The 53-year-old Roman, one of five candidates to interview virtually with the Jets, is in the running alongside Frank Reich, Darrell Bevell, Ronald Curry and Lunda Wells. Given his vast experience as an offensive coordinator, it’s no surprise Roman is under serious consideration to replace Engstrand, who had never held the role until Glenn hired him last year.
Roman, a longtime Jim Harbaugh assistant, worked in the NFL as his O-coordinator in San Francisco from 2011-14 and rejoined him over the past two years with the Chargers. Between then, Roman served as a coordinator in Buffalo (2015 until an early season firing in 2016) and Baltimore (2019-22). Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Tyrod Taylor, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert are among the quarterbacks who have performed well under Roman.
With Roman at the helm in Los Angeles this season, Herbert put together his second Pro Bowl campaign. However, after Herbert and the Chargers’ offense fared horribly in a 16-3 loss to the Patriots in the wild-card round, Harbaugh replaced Roman with Mike McDaniel.
Taylor is now a Jet, but as a soon-to-be free agent, his future is uncertain. While Justin Fields and Brady Cook are under contract for next season, it’s doubtful either will factor into the Jets’ Week 1 plans in 2026. Despite handing the mobile Fields a guaranteed $30MM on a two-year deal last offseason, expectations are the Jets will release him in the coming weeks. Head coach Aaron Glenn benched Fields for the rest of the year in mid-November.
With all three of their QBs posting lackluster results in 2025, the Jets easily had the worst passing offense in the NFL. That helped lead to 29th-place finishes in both scoring and total offense. The Jets ranked a much more respectable 10th in rushing, but their No. 1 back, Breece Hall, is due to become a free agent on the heels of his first 1,000-yard season. As a run-first coordinator, Roman may prefer to keep Hall.
Whether the Jets hire Roman or someone else, it’s imperative for Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey to give their next coordinator more talent than Engstrand had at his disposal in 2025. Star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, tight end Mason Taylor, and the tackle tandem of Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou are foundational pieces who are sure to return next season, but there’s plenty of room for improvement around them.
Jets To Interview Lunda Wells For OC; Jon Gruden Denies Team Contacted Him
JANUARY 30: Gruden emphatically denied that the Jets contacted him, telling WDAE: “There’s a lot of reports we’re not going to get into. There’s a lot of stupid rumors out there. Some of these reports are ridiculous. Let’s just say that there was never anything from the Jets and I wish them well in their search for a new offensive coordinator.”
JANUARY 28: After parting with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, the Jets have identified a potential replacement in Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells. They’ll interview Wells today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The Jets are the third team of the offseason to show OC interest in Wells, who previously met with the Commanders and will discuss the position with the Steelers. Now 42 years old, Wells began his NFL coaching career in New York in 2012 in a quality control role with the Tom Coughlin-led Giants.
Coughlin’s run as the Giants’ head coach ended after 2015, but Wells stayed on their staff during the short-lived Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur eras. He served as the Giants’ assistant offensive line coach from 2013-17 before working with their tight ends from 2018-19.
Wells is now coming off his sixth year in Dallas, where he has aided in the development of tight ends Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson. In joining the Jets, Wells would inherit a promising tight end in Mason Taylor, who posted a 44-catch season as a second-round rookie in 2025, as well as a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson.
While Taylor and Wilson are bright spots, the Jets’ offense otherwise lacks weapons, especially with running back Breece Hall on the verge of free agency. More importantly, though, the Jets don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. It’s something general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will have to address this offseason after last year’s Justin Fields gamble fell flat.
Although Wells will receive some consideration to run the Jets’ offense in 2026, Glenn is reportedly focused on hiring an experienced candidate to be the “head coach” of the unit. Frank Reich is the frontrunner, but Glenn also reached out to Jon Gruden about joining his staff, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
It’s unknown whether Gruden would have become the Jets’ offensive coordinator or taken on a different position, but he declined Glenn’s overtures. The longtime head coach, 62, hasn’t worked in the NFL since he served as a consultant with the Saints in 2023. Gruden hasn’t coached since he resigned his post with the Raiders in October 2021. He stepped down after emails he sent containing racist, sexist and homophobic remarks were leaked. Gruden, who sent those emails while working as an analyst at ESPN from 2011-18, is now suing the league.
Jets To Hire Brian Duker As DC
The Jets have put an end to a drawn-out defensive coordinator search. They’re hiring former Dolphins pass game coordinator Brian Duker, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The 36-year-old Duker was not publicly on the radar for the Jets’ job until they held a virtual interview with him on Tuesday. He’ll now reunite with head coach Aaron Glenn, whom he teamed with in Detroit from 2021-23. Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator then, while Duker served as a defensive assistant, safeties coach and defensive backs coach.
After helping develop Lions safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, Duker left for Miami. He spent two years with the Dolphins, but with new head coach Jeff Hafley and his staff coming in, Duker will exit to take on a bigger role with a different AFC East team in 2026.
Duker became the ninth coach to interview for the Jets’ DC gig, a position that once looked likely to go to the experienced Don “Wink” Martindale. Although Martindale was the only candidate who landed a second interview, he and the Jets didn’t close the deal. Glenn’s preference to call the defensive plays had something to do with it, Connor Hughes of SNY reports. It’s also part of the reason why Broncos pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard was “never an option” despite also interviewing with the Jets.
At the outset of the search, Glenn did not make it known that he intended to call plays in 2026, but plans changed along the way, per Hughes. Duker, who has no play-calling experience, will act as Glenn’s second in command next season. The duo will aim for more successful results after the Jets finished the year 25th in yards, 31st in points, and somehow failed to intercept a single pass.
The Jets’ defensive struggles led to the mid-December firing of Steve Wilks. Defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Chris Harris replaced Wilks for the final three games of the season, but the Jets allowed a whopping 106 points in that span. Harris nonetheless interviewed for the full-time role, but Glenn will turn to Duker instead.
Jets Complete Five OC Interviews
After moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand yesterday, the Jets have officially kicked off their search in full force. The team announced that they’ve completed interviews with five candidates. Three names on the list are new: Dolphins quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell, Bills QBs coach Ronald Curry, and recent Chargers OC Greg Roman. The two other names are Lunda Wells, whose interview we learned about this morning, and Frank Reich, who was previously mentioned as a potential option.
[RELATED: Jets, OC Tanner Engstrand Part Ways]
Bevell has spent the past four seasons as Miami’s QBs coach and passing game coordinator. He helped guide Tua Tagovailoa to a ninth-place finish in MVP voting during his first season at the helm, and he saw the former first-round pick later pace the NFL in passing yards (4,624 in 2023) and completion percentage (72.9 in 2024). Tagovailoa’s numbers took a notable step back in 2025, including a career-high 3.9 interception rate. While that performance may lead to some changes in Miami in 2026, it apparently didn’t do enough to ruin Bevell’s reputation.
Following a brief stop with the 49ers to begin his coaching career, Curry climbed the coaching ladder in New Orleans. As a receivers coach, he helped guide Michael Thomas to two of the most productive seasons of his career, and he led a QBs room in 2021 that relied on three different starters (Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian, and Taysom Hill). He earned a promotion to passing game coordinator in 2022 and was responsible for passing attacks led by Andy Dalton and Derek Carr. He moved to the Bills ahead of Josh Allen‘s MVP season in 2024, and he got a career-high 69.3 completion percentage from the star QB in 2025.
Roman was recently fired by the Chargers following a three-point showing in the team’s Wild Card Round loss to the Patriots. Before that, the veteran coach had stints as offensive coordinator in Baltimore, Buffalo, and San Francisco. He also served as the associate head coach at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh. Considering the Jets’ uncertainty at quarterback, it’s worth noting that Roman has successfully worked alongside a wide range of QBs throughout his coaching career. While he recently had an experienced play-caller in Justin Herbert, he’s helped guide young QBs (like Lamar Jackson and Colin Kaepernick) and journeymen (like Tyrod Taylor).
Before the Jets and Engstrand parted ways, there were rumblings that Aaron Glenn was planning to strip the OC of his play-calling duties while seeking a replacement. Reich was the first coach connected to the gig, and the team was reportedly “progressing” in conversations with the former Colts and Panthers head coach. The 64-year-old remains the favorite for the role. Wells joined the fray this morning, with the Cowboys TEs coach garnering his third OC interview of this year’s cycle. One name that’s rejected the team’s overtures is Jon Gruden, who would have certainly fit Glenn’s desire to find a “head coach” for the unit.
Whoever ends up getting hired for the open OC job will have a tall task of turning around a Jets offense that finished bottom-four in yards and scoring this past season. The team’s QB approach remains uncertain following the failed Justin Fields experiment, and running back Breece Hall is set to hit free agency. Fortunately, the Jets do have some foundational pieces, including a solid offensive line, star wideout Garrett Wilson, and promising rookie TE Mason Taylor.
Jets, OC Tanner Engstrand Part Ways
After just one season, the Jets are moving on from offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The two sides are parting ways.
This doesn’t come as a surprise after a weekend report indicated Engstrand’s future was in limbo. It nonetheless continues a major staff shakeup for Glenn, who has cleared out several coaches – including both coordinators – dating back to the mid-December firing of DC Steve Wilks.
While Glenn and Engstrand discussed a non-play-calling position for 2026, they ultimately decided to go in other directions, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. Glenn is now on the hunt for a veteran replacement for Engstrand, someone to serve as a “head coach of the offense,” a source told Connor Hughes of SNY . Former Colts and Panthers head coach Frank Reich looks like the frontrunner to take over, but the Jets will need to interview at least one external minority candidate before that could take place.
Glenn, previously the Lions’ defensive coordinator, worked with Engstrand in Detroit from 2021-24. Engstrand shifted from offensive quality control coach to tight ends coach/passing game coordinator to passing game coordinator during that four-year span. Glenn saw enough positives from Engstrand to bring the former Ben Johnson understudy to New York as a first-time NFL offensive coordinator last January. However, Engstrand’s hiring only came after Nick Caley turned down the Jets. Then the Rams’ tight ends coach, Caley became the Texans’ offensive coordinator in early February.
Several weeks after hiring Engstrand, the Jets added former Bears and Steelers quarterback Justin Fields on a two-year, $40MM deal in free agency. The Jets guaranteed Fields $30MM, but they’re already poised to move on this offseason after an unproductive 2025 in which Glenn benched him for the rest of the year in mid-November.
With Fields, journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie Brady Cook playing in at least five games apiece, the Jets averaged a paltry 140.3 passing yards per contest. They easily placed last in the league in that category, falling short of the 31st-ranked Browns by 25 yards per game.
To make matters worse for Engstrand, knee issues limited star wide receiver Garrett Wilson to seven games. With Wilson down for 10 games, running back Breece Hall was the Jets’ only established offensive weapon. Hall put up the first 1,000-yard season of his four-year career, and tight end Mason Taylor had a 44-catch rookie campaign, but bright spots were otherwise few and far between.
After ranking 29th in both total offense and scoring under Engstrand, the Jets will employ a 12th different offensive play-caller in a 16-year span in 2026 (h/t: Cimini). Although Glenn will return after posting a 3-14 record as a rookie head coach in 2025, his staff will take on a much different look next season.