Aaron Glenn's coaching staff shakeup took another sudden turn Tuesday.
The New York Jets are looking for a new offensive coordinator after Tanner Engstrand and the team agreed to part ways, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Glenn was already interviewing candidates to replace Steve Wilks, who was fired late in the season as the defensive coordinator. Following a 3-14 season, Glenn will now search for a play caller on offense.
Glenn and Engstrand had been discussing Engstrand's role in the past several days before the sides agreed to move on, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the move.
Engstrand, a first-time play caller, worked with Glenn for four years as an assistant in Detroit before Glenn hired him to run the Jets' offense. But New York struggled on offense for most of the season with subpar quarterback play a major reason. Justin Fields, signed in the offseason, started only nine games before he was benched in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook started the final four games because of injuries to Fields and Taylor.
The Jets finished last in the NFL in yards passing and 29th in both total yards per game and points per game. Star wide receiver Garrett Wilson missed 10 games with a knee injury. But New York's running game behind Breece Hall, who had the first 1,000-yard season of his four-year career, was a bright spot while finishing 11th in the league.
Glenn said after the season he would evaluate the players, himself and his staff and move forward based on how those discussions went. It appeared Engstrand would return in his coordinator role, but Glenn decided to change course — and now Engstrand is out, rather than returning in a different role.
Three weeks after the season ended and with several teams already filling key vacancies, the Jets will now have to interview candidates for a new offensive coordinator, including at least two minority candidates to fulfill the league's Rooney Rule.
Special teams coordinator Chris Banjo, whose unit ranked among the best in the NFL, will be the only returning coordinator on Glenn's staff. Several other assistants, though, were fired in the past few weeks as Glenn looks to revamp his staff.
The Jets announced Tuesday they conducted a video interview with Dolphins pass game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker for their defensive coordinator vacancy. Duker joins eight other candidates who have interviewed with Glenn for the job, including Chris Harris, who served as New York’s interim defensive coordinator after Wilks was fired, Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, Mathieu Araujo, Ephraim Banda, DeMarcus Covington, Daronte Jones and Jim O’Neil.
Martindale is the only known candidate to so far have an in-person interview. The possibility remains that Glenn, previously a defensive coordinator with the Lions for four years, could decide to call plays himself.
New York's defense finished among the NFL's worst in several categories and the Jets became the first team in league history to go without an interception through a season.
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