Friday night it was reported the New York Jets were making a whole host of moves to their coaching staff. They’ve fired the majority of their defensive coaches, and they’ve made limited changes on the offensive side of the ball including the firing of quarterback Coach Charles London. Those were the headline grabbing pieces of news, but Aaron Wilson dropped an even bigger piece of news.
With Tanner Engstrand’s role in flux, it’s very possible that his role on the staff could be changed and his play calling responsibilities stripped. Perhaps the Jets shift Engstrand over to quarterback coach and go with a more experienced NFL play caller in 2026.
While it’s certainly not been confirmed that the Jets are on the lookout for a new offensive coordinator, or play caller, this piece of news got me thinking. Who would take this job? After all, offensive minds were turning down the opportunity to work with Aaron Glenn on this roster last year, or to even be the head coach, so a year later when things look dire, who could take it?
Ties to Aaron Glenn
Let’s start with some offensive minds that have ties to the current Jets head coach. After all, with such an unappealing job it’s more likely than not going to be Glenn himself that is the largest selling point.
John Morton
Morton has already done this before. He was the offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2017 before he was let go so the team could promote Jeremy Bates. A move that many believe was the beginning of the end for Todd Bowles tenure with the team.
Morton’s offense in 2017 actually significantly overperformed expectations. He had Josh McCown playing like an above-average NFL quarterback. Robbie Anderson had nearly 950 receiving yards and Jermaine Kearse was over 800. It’s fair to wonder how the offense, and Sam Darnold, would have turned out if Morton was allowed to work with the young quarterback.
Would Morton come back to work with Glenn? Morton and Glenn worked together in Detroit in 2022, so the ties are obvious. And Morton was just fired in Detroit despite the team once again producing at an elite level offensively. It’s not Morton’s fault he’s not Ben Johnson, that role was always going to be nearly impossible to fill. It’s unlikely Morton would get another chance as play caller any time soon if he didn’t take the job. Which could make him desperate enough to take a second crack with the Jets almost a decade later.
Anthony Lynn
Another former Jets coach, Anthony Lynn was the running backs coach on the last Jets playoff teams under Rex Ryan. In fact, Lynn got his first look as a head coach when he replaced Rex Ryan in Buffalo. Lynn has since been the head coach of the Chargers, and the offensive coordinator for the Lions. During the 2022 and 2023 seasons Lynn was also an assistant head coach in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan.
Lynn may get other options at the end of the day. There are a lot of offensive coordinator positions open, though his current team, the Washington Commanders, passed him over for the job.
It’s possible that Glenn, who saw Lynn struggle and Campbell move on from him in Detroit, may not feel comfortable with him. But it’s also possible that Lynn has learned a lot from Shanahan and Kingsbury the past few years and become a better play caller because of it.
Pete Carmichael
Aaron Glenn watched Pete Carmichael coach an offense up close and personal for five seasons in New Orleans. If Glenn wants experience, he won’t get a more experienced play caller than Carmichael. There are simply few people who’ve ever had an offensive coordinator job as long as he has. From 2009-2023, Carmichael was the offensive coordinator for the Saints. That’s 15 seasons.
Carmichael is no longer a play caller, but he still works closely with Glenn’s mentor, Sean Payton. He’s a senior offensive assistant in Denver. If Carmichael is itching to get back to play calling, the Jets are probably his only hope.
Joe Brady
This is a pie in the sky, high hopes name to put on the list. Joe Brady and Glenn worked together in New Orleans in 2017 and 2018. Brady has since gone on to be an offensive coordinator for two teams and is often a sought after head coach candidate in the offseason. In fact, we can’t rule out that Brady will land the Bills head coach job, though there appear to be some stronger candidates, including his predecessor Brian Daboll.
Brady could probably have whatever job he wants. There are so many offensive coordinator jobs open this offseason that he will likely have his pick. There’s very little reason for him to want to come to the Jets, unless he’s the biggest Ty Simpson fan in the world.
The one advantage the Jets could potentially have here is their head coach position. If Glenn gets fired mid-season or even after the season, Brady might immediately be the successor. Would that appeal to him? He did interview for the Jets head coach position twice already, including the cycle where Glenn was hired.
Available coaches with OC experience
Kliff Kingsbury
There’s no connection to Glenn, but Kingsbury did play for the Jets once upon a time in 2005. It’s hard to see this one happening though. Kingsbury reportedly turned down the oppurtunity to interview for the head coaching job last year. Even though he’s currently out of a job he’s likely to have better options than this.
However, on the off chance he’s willing to take a shot on the Jets, there are few people in the league who are better at developing quarterbacks. Kyler Murray, Jaydon Daniels, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes are all quarterbacks developed by Kingsbury.
Given that Murray is on the block this offseason, could you potentially see Murray and Kingsbury reunited in New York?
Frank Smith
Frank Smith was the offensive coordinator for Mike McDaniel in Miami. He didn’t call plays while he was there; that was all McDaniels. Smith has spent years learning under one of the top offensive minds in the game. If Glenn is looking for someone with a Shanahan-style background, Smith may be a real option.
It’s unclear that Smith would get a play calling opportunity anywhere else, though he may simply follow McDaniel. It’s also worth noting that Smith worked in New Orleans for five seasons. If Sean Payton gives a strong recommendation that could help his chances with the Jets.
Kevin Patullo
The former Eagles offensive coordinator was once a quarterback coach for the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Jets. Woody Johnson would probably be comfortable with him, though that’s not necessarily a good thing.
The Eagles offense regressed heavily under Patullo this season, but it was also his first as a play caller after years as a passing game coordinator. It was clear that his play calling was causing issues in Philadelphia, and it may lead to AJ Brown being traded. It’s because of his struggles that he’s available now, and if the Jets want to take a shot on a different young play caller, Patullo may jump at the chance to prove he deserves his shot in the NFL.
Brian Callahan
The former Bengals offensive coordinator and Titans head coach is looking for a job. A former quarterback himself, and a long-time quarterback coach, Callahan could be a great choice for Glenn. He knows the struggles of being a bad head coach. He knows how to develop a quarterback. And he has play calling experience.
The only question here is whether or not Callahan wants to jump back into things quickly. His tenure in Tennessee was a disaster. I don’t think anyone would blame him for taking a season off to recalibrate and learn from his mistakes before jumping back in. Especially if the only opportunity that he gets is one with a lame duck staff in New York.
Potential First Time Offensive Coordinators
It’s unlikely the Jets go with a first time play caller. It seems more likely they would stick with Engstrand then pin their hopes on a different young coordinator with little to no experience. However, these are some guys who may be likely to take the job if offered.
Tom Manning
Manning is the Colts tight end coach. He played a vital role in the development of Tyler Warren, who has been one of the best players in his draft class. And he has reportedly played a large role in scheming the offense to help marry an elite running game with a mediocre passing game.
The Colts coaching staff isn’t really safe entering the 2026 season themselves, so it’s very possible that a promotion could pry Manning away from Shane Steichen’s staff.
Thad Lewis
Most NFL fans probably remember Thad Lewis as a career backup quarterback who retired pretty recently. His final season in the NFL was 2017, and he immediately jumped into coaching. Now he’s the quarterback coach under Todd Bowles.
Lewis worked as an offensive assistant under Chip Kelly at UCLA in 2018 and 2019. He then transitioned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff. Since 2020 Lewis has worked under the following names on the offensive side: Byron Leftwich, Dave Canales, Liam Coen, and Josh Gizzard this past season.
Tampa Bay’s ability to develop young offensive coaches is well known throughout the league. Lewis could be the next head coach from their tree, but it’s going to take a while before he gets to take over the offensive play calling reigns. Could an early opportunity with the Jets be enough to pry him away?
Spencer Whipple
Whipple is the quarterback coach in Jacksonville. Liam Coen plucked him from Arizona, where he’d been a coach since 2018.
The Jaguars have obviously seen massive improvement on the offensive side of the ball this year. A lot of that credit goes to Liam Coen and Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski. But let’s not leave out Whipple, who’s done a tremendous job with Trevor Lawrence, an MVP finalist for the first time this season.
Whipple is likely no higher than third in line for play calling duties in Jacksonville. If he wants to be a head coach in the near future he’s going to need an opportunity at a bigger role. Could jumping ship to New York be that opportunity?
Davis Webb
Another pie in the sky hope. Davis Webb is the current quarterback coach in Denver and is getting head coaching interviews left and right. The former Giants backup quarterback has become a star young coach. He is more likely to land a head coach job than an offensive coordinator one.
But just for the sake of discussion, Webb would be an excellent hire and has ties to Sean Payton. It would likely take heavy convincing on Payton’s part to get Webb to leave Denver for anything other than a head coach job, but hey, one can dream.
Josh McCown
A former Jets quarterback and another guy who’s quickly risen up the coaching ranks. McCown is the Vikings quarterback coach and was a rumored candidate for the offensive coordinator job last offseason. However, McCown stuck it out in Minnesota, where JJ McCarthy’s disappointing season has put a damper on his burgeoning head coach candidacy.
McCown has now overseen two quarterbacks, Bryce Young and McCarthy, that haven’t developed as intended during his time in charge. That’s not the best look for him, but it’s also worth mentioning that he was working under an offensive minded head coach in both instances.
If McCown had free reign would he do it differently? We know that McCown played a role in helping the development of young quarterbacks even when he was playing.
