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.