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. The team has since announced the move is official.
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.
They’ve hired a good replacement for everyone that has left already. I think they’ll be fine.
Talent usually wins out, plus they still have Campbell, so I agree. All their hires would have to be scary bad for Detroit to suddenly fall off.
I can’t say that for sure. The new DC is an unknown with no experience and it’s yet to be seen if Morton can replicate half the innovation Ben Johnson designed for Detroit’s offense.
Johnson is a great offensive coach, don’t get me wrong, but the innovation being attributed solely to him is unjust. Chris Spielman has drawn up like 20 creative plays a week and took them to Johnson for the entirety of Johnson’s tenure. Then Johnson would pick the one or two he felt would work most effectively and run them in practice. Spielman isn’t going anywhere, so if Campbell still wants creativity as part of a gameplan, I’m sure it’ll stay. Plus, the offense started to turn around as soon as Campbell fired Lynn and took over playcalling, Johnson just took the offense a step further.
Morton is no guarantee to be a great OC, that’s absolutely true, but he was the fall guy for the 2017 Jets despite doing alright with the offense considering the complete lack of talent on that side of the ball that year. I think this second chance at OC is long overdue.
This is a good hire for the Jets. Very surprised he didn’t take over the OC job with the Lions when Johnson left. Actually, I thought he was headed to the Bears with Johnson. If not Engstrand, I was also thinking Brunell or Fraley would be heading to Chicago. Wow! The Lions are getting pirated. A credit to the Detroit organization for the coaching staff they had.
Justin Rogers, former beat writer for the Lions at the Det News, talked about why he didn’t get the gig in Detroit. Rogers suggested it was experience (Johnson had 10 years before he took OC in Detroit versus 5 for Engstrand) and Engstrand doesn’t seem like the type of coach who’s comfortable talking in front of a large group of players. That said, Sheppard, the new DC in Detroit has 3 years experience, but he is in control of the entire room, he has a presence, like AG (Glenn) had in Detroit. AG pretty much hired his defensive staff in Detroit, but I don’t think Engstrand will with the Jets (again, the experience factor). I bet AG brings in a vet coach or two to work with him.
Word around the campfire in DET was that the OC job was indeed offered to Engstrand initially. He took that offer to AG and the Jets which offered quite a bit more. He then took that to MCDC and Brad Holmes which supposedly pissed DC off which is when they pivoted to John Morton, who the Lions also highly liked. Not sure if this is just rumor or not but there was a gap in time between Engstrand bent interviewed and hired by the Jets. But as far as DET losing BJ and other staff, we’re going to be just fine. BJ may be a fine OC, but if you watched him on the sidelines and with players other the Goff, he is not a great leader of men. He is just another in a LONG line of offensive coaches that are a dime a dozen. Campbell is the rock that steadies this ship in DET and I personally believe this offense will be better without BJ. No more passing on 3rd and 1 when you are averaging 8 YPC. No more gadget plays when you are moving the ball easily on the defense. Basically, no more showing off just to say “Look at me and how smart I am” when it is not warranted. The Lions will be fine and better than ever IF we plug the few holes we have on D and can stay healthy!