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Jets Finalize 2025 Defensive, ST Staff

February 16th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets have finalized their defensive and special teams coaching staff for their inaugural season under head coach Aaron Glenn, per a team announcement.

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo  were in place by the end of January, but it took a few more weeks to finalize their staffs. Several of the Jets’ position coach hires have already been reported, but the team has since added several assistants.

Among them is former Rams and Lions cornerback Dré Bly, who is joining the Jets as an assistant defensive backs coach. He spent the last season in Detroit as a cornerbacks coach and will now follow Glenn to New York.

Cameron Davis, the Lions’ assistant defensive line coach for the last three seasons, is also sticking with Glenn. Davis will take the same position with the Jets under defensive line coach Eric Washington.

Glenn is retaining Nathaniel Willingham on his new staff, albeit in a new position. After coaching nickelbacks in 2024, Willingham will now be the Jets’ assistant linebackers coach. He previously served as a defensive assistant in 2022 and 2023 before a stint in Denver as a defensive quality control coach.

Alonso Escalante is returning to the NFL as a defensive assistant with a focus on nickels. He spent the last two years in the high school ranks, but he has eight years of pro experience with five different teams. Most recently, he was the Panthers’ assistant running backs coach in 2021.

Former Bears, Broncos, and Browns cornerback Roosevelt Williams is taking his first job in the NFL as a defensive assistant. He has spent the last 15 years at the college level and was the cornerbacks coach for Houston Christian University in 2024.

On special teams, the Jets aded Kevin O’Dea as an assistant. He has almost three decades of experience in the NFL, including a previous stint with the Jets as special teams coordinator in 2008 and 2009.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 15th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

NFC Coaching Notes: Haslett, Saints, Cowboys, Choice, Lions, Giants, Falcons

February 13th, 2025 at 8:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Saints–Mike McCarthy reunion is on tap, but the team will go forward with an interesting hire that will bring about a reunion of sorts from that era. The team is hiring Chase Haslett as tight ends coach, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Chase Haslett is the son of ex-Saints HC Jim Haslett, who coached the team from 2000-05. Jim Haslett was steering the ship when the Saints won their first playoff game, a wild-card thriller over the Rams in 2000. The Saints gave Jim Haslett his only NFL HC job; they will give his son his first position-coaching role. Mickey Loomis became Saints GM during Jim’s HC tenure and led the search to name Moore as HC this year.

Chase will come over after three Cowboys seasons, the last of which overlapping with new Saints HC Kellen Moore. Chase assisted with Cowboys TEs, helping Dalton Schultz to a productive 2022 before aiding in Jake Ferguson‘s development.

Here is the latest from the NFC coaching ranks:

  • Elsewhere on the Saints’ staff, they are also bringing back a familiar face to oversee the offensive line. Brendan Nugent is coming back to head up this group, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett. Nugent coached the Saints’ O-line from 2015-21; he will replace John Benton, who is following Klint Kubiak to Seattle. Nugent comes over from Seattle, having been the Seahawks’ assistant OL coach last season. He was the Saints’ assistant OL coach from 2015-20 and their O-line boss in 2021. This hire will bring about familiarity for Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, who were in place when Nugent was last with New Orleans. More familiarity will be in place at wide receiver, with Underhill adding Keith Williams is staying on as WRs coach. The Saints had hired Williams in 2024.
  • Tashard Choice recently interviewed for the Cowboys’ RBs coach position, but the ex-Dallas running back is heading to Detroit. The Lions are hiring Choice as their backfield coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Texas is believed to have offered a significant raise to keep Choice in Austin, but he will join Dan Campbell‘s staff. Choice coached Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech. The Lions are moving previous RBs coach Scottie Montgomery to wide receivers coach, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. A former NFL wideout, Montgomery has not coached the position in the NFL since overseeing the likes of Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders in Pittsburgh from 2010-12. The former college HC, who will replace Antwaan Randle El (now the Bears’ WRs coach), is also now an assistant head coach in Detroit.
  • The Lions are also hiring Tyler Roehl to coach tight ends, Rogers adds. Previously reported (via Zenitz) to be coming to Detroit as an offensive assistant, Roehl is making the jump after one season as Iowa State’s RBs coach. He is better known for work at Division I-FCS power North Dakota State. Roehl was with the Bison from 2014-23, finishing his tenure with five seasons as OC. This included mentorship during Trey Lance‘s 28-TD, zero-INT 2019 season, one of the program’s many national titles.
  • T.J. Yates is heading into his second season as Falcons QBs coach; the former NFL signal-caller will also serve as Atlanta’s pass-game coordinator in 2025, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. After the Falcons attempted to make the Kirk Cousins–Michael Penix Jr. setup work, Yates will be tasked with developing Penix (after a Cousins release) in 2025.
  • Brian Daboll‘s son will not be part of his father’s 2025 Giants staff. Christian Daboll is leaving to pursue another career path, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard tweets. Brian hired his son out of college; Christian was part of the past two New York staffs, working as an offensive assistant.
  • UTEP defensive coordinator JJ Clark is joining the Cowboys in a quality control role, Zenitz tweets. Clark coached the Miners’ defense for one season, coming over from Austin Peay in 2024. UTEP ranked 113th in Division I-FBS defensively last season.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Pack, Vikes

February 6th, 2025 at 7:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Lions are hiring former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski as an offensive assistant, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Originally a Buccaneers sixth-round pick in 2006, Gradkowski bounced between six different teams in his career, finishing with 37 total appearances and 20 starts. He briefly coached at the high school level before joining the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks as offensive coordinator in 2022.

The Battlehawks’ passing offense have generally been successful under Gradkowski. Ex-Alabama star A.J. McCarron ranked first in passing yards and second in touchdowns in 2023. After the XFL’s merger with the USFL, former Iowa State receiver Hakeem Butler led the newly formed UFL in receiving yards on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Given his playing and coaching history, Gradkowski’s role in Detroit will likely focus on their passing offense as the Lions attempt to reload their staff after it was pilfered by other NFL teams during this year’s hiring cycle.

  • The Lions will also be working to retain their pending free agents, including defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Marcus Davenport. The team has discussed returns with both players, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, with Davenport saying after the season that he wanted to stay in Detroit. Onwuzarike has already engaged in discussions about a deal, with Birkett adding the sides talked about a second contract previously. Davenport has missed most of the past two seasons, and his loss hurt a Lions defense that played without Aidan Hutchinson for much the season as well.
  • Lions general manager Brad Holmes is not planning to have the same aggressive approach as his former boss, Rams GM Les Snead. Holmes does not believe the Lions have an expiring Super Bowl window and said that he will “stay committed to the process,” according to Birkett.
  • The Bears made a trio of hires to Ben Johnson’s coaching staff this week. Dan Roushar will be the team’s new offensive line coach after holding the same position at Tulane for the past two seasons, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Former Colts linebackers coach Richard Smith and ex-Jaguars defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett will join the Bears in the same roles, per Biggs and Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
  • The Packers will promote Sean Duggan to linebackers coach to replace new Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Duggan has spent the last five seasons under Packers DC Jeff Hafley, four at Boston College as linebackers coach and one in Green Bay as a defensive assistant.
  • Vikings wide reciver Jordan Addison pled not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges dating back to a July 2024 arrest in Los Angeles, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison did not receive any punishment from the NFL for the incident, but could face a fine or suspension after legal proceedings conclude.

Rams Willing To Eat Money In Kupp Trade

February 4th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

In their search for a Cooper Kupp trade partner, the Rams are willing to eat some of the money remaining on the star wide receiver’s contract, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Kupp is set to earn $20MM in 2025, made up of $12.5MM in base salary and a $7.5MM 90-man roster bonus due on March 17, per OverTheCap. $5MM of that roster bonus became fully guaranteed in 2024.

A pre-June 1 trade would already require the Rams to absorb the remaining prorations of Kupp’s signing bonus as a $17.26MM dead cap hit in 2025. That would allow them to pursue other needs in free agency with additional capital in this year’s draft.

Waiting until after June 1 would allow the Rams to push $7.48MM of dead money to 2026, but they would then also be responsible for Kupp’s 2025 roster bonus, essentially making the deferment a wash. The delay would also cost them 2025 draft capital in addition to the opportunity to sign top free agents in March.

Accordingly, the Rams would rather get a trade done before the new league year starts, explaining their willingness to absorb even more of Kupp’s contract. In the past, the Rams have paid a roster bonus early as a way of eating money to facilitate a trade, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That would help firm up a market for Kupp, who is expected to have suitors due to his pedigree as a tough, savvy, and versatile playmaker. If the Rams can alleviate the financial burden of acquiring the 31-year-old, his age and recent injuries would be his only remaining concerns. Despite those concerns, Kupp is expected to have suitors, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required).

Kupp’s skillset would make him a fit in almost any NFL offense, but certain teams will make more sense than others. Among them, according to Fowler, are the Steelers, the Commanders, and the Patriots. Pittsburgh were interested at the 2024 trade deadline, while Washington and New England both have plenty of cap space and young passers that would benefit from an experienced, quarterback-friendly receiver like Kupp. The Lions also have enough cap room to absorb his contract as well as Kupp’s former teammate, Jared Goff, under center.

Jaguars Name Tony Boselli VP Of Football Operations, Continue Staff Changes

February 3rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shad Khan said last month he hoped to beef up the Jaguars’ front office. Although the owner’s plan changed significantly thanks to the Trent Baalke firing during their HC search, the Jags are making a notable adjustment that will impact their next GM.

Tony Boselli was set to be part of the next Jags front office arrangement, and the team confirmed the move will come with an important title. The Jaguars announced Monday they are naming the Hall of Fame tackle their new executive VP of football operations. The team announcement indicates both Boselli and new HC Liam Coen will report to Khan, giving the new FO figure considerable power.

“Few people have better relationships throughout the NFL, know the game, and understand the value of strong team identity and culture as well as Tony Boselli,” Khan said. “Tony has a wealth of football acumen that we respect and need, and his counsel will be tremendously valuable to me and our football leadership team during this current rebirth and for many seasons to come.”

[RELATED: General Manager Search Tracker]

Boselli is obviously best known for his playing career. The No. 2 overall pick in 1995, Boselli moved from being the first draft choice in Jaguars history to the Hall of Fame. It took a belated bush, reminding of Terrell Davis‘ arc, for Boselli to land in Canton due to having his career cut short by shoulder injuries. Boselli, who earned three first-team All-Pro nods during a golden era for left tackles, also suffered an ACL tear late in the 1999 season.

Boselli, 52. has been with the franchise in the years since, most notably as a radio broadcaster, and has held multiple roles in the health industry. He will now be part of what still appears a Coen-led operation.

“My job is not to be out front; my job is to help Liam Coen, his staff and the new GM to have success,” Boselli said. “That’s all I want to do. That’s all I care about. It’s focused on Liam. I’m going to make sure Liam and that staff he has and the players he brings in have the ultimate success.”

Despite minimal experience compared to most coaches who have the chance to shape a GM search, Coen still looks set hold final-say power as the Jags form a triumvirate of sorts. This differs from how Khan constructed his front office during Tom Coughlin‘s time as executive VP, when he presided over GM Dave Caldwell and HC Doug Marrone. Coughlin’s second Jags stint ended with a dismissal, as player grievances mounted, two-plus years into his tenure.

In addition to Boselli, the Jags are making more moves to fill out Coen’s coaching staff. They are adding Matt Edwards and Anthony Perkins as D-line and DBs coaches, respectively, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Jags are also retaining Richard Anguolo as tight ends coach. The Lions inquired about the Doug Pederson holdover staffer, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, but the Jags stepped in and gave Angulo a multiyear extension.

Edwards comes over after a stint as Bills assistant D-line coach; he had spent two seasons with the Raiders and four with the Titans previously. A Packers staffer in 2024, Perkins will jump from the quality control level to take on his first role as an NFL position coach. He was previously coaching Oregon State cornerbacks before joining Matt LaFleur‘s staff. Angulo has been Jacksonville’s TEs coach since 2022; he previously spent eight seasons in Baltimore, coaching that position and working as an assistant O-line coach.

Coen has run into trouble staffing his O-line coach role, seeing the Buccaneers — not fans of the way he left town — block interviews with their O-line coach (Kevin Carberry) and assistant OL coach (Brian Picucci). Despite Picucci following Coen from Kentucky last year, he is staying in Tampa. As such, the Jags are interviewing Zak Kromer for the job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Kromer has been with the Rams throughout Sean McVay‘s tenure, overlapping with both Coen L.A. stints. The son of Bills O-line coach Aaron Kromer, Zak is currently the Rams’ assistant O-line coach.

Jets Hire Tanner Engstrand As OC

January 31st, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Cowboys Interview Scottie Montgomery For OC Position

January 31st, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Brian Schottenheimer will call plays for the Cowboys in 2025, his debut season as a head coach. His choice of offensive coordinator will still be an important one, and the list of candidates for the position has grown.

Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery has interviewed with the Cowboys, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports. He is the third staffer to speak with the team on the OC front as a result. This is the first coordinator gig Montgomery has been connected to in the 2025 hiring cycle.

The 46-year-old saw his playing career end in 2005, and he immediately took up coaching. Montgomery worked at his alma mater (Duke) from 2006-09 and again from 2013-15 as offensive coordinator and associate head coach. His college resume also includes time as East Carolina’s head coach as well as a two-year stint as OC at Maryland.

Montgomery first worked in the NFL with the Steelers (2010-12) and he returned to the pro game with the Colts in 2021. After a pair of seasons working with Jonathan Taylor and Co. as Indianapolis’ running backs coach, he joined Dan Campbell‘s staff as RBs coach. Montgomery has also held the title of assistant head coach during his time in Detroit, which has allowed him to oversee arguably the league’s top backfield tandem in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

The Lions have already seen Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn depart their coordinator positions for head coaching gigs. Campbell expected to lose both during the 2025 cycle, and further changes on his staff could be coming with Tanner Engstrand seen as the frontrunner for the Jets’ OC job. Losing Montgomery would mark another blow to the Lions, although it would give the Cowboys a staffer with a strong background in the run game, an area in which Dallas certainly has considerable room for improvement.

Via PFR’s OC/DC Tracker, here is an updated look at the Cowboys’ search:

Nick Caley Turned Aside Jets’ OC Interest; Tanner Engstrand Still Frontrunner

January 31st, 2025 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

Aaron Glenn moved quickly in finding a defensive coordinator for his first Jets staff. On the offensive side of the ball, further clarity has emerged regarding the two top candidates.

SNY’s Connor Hughes reports Nick Caley was New York’s top choice for the OC gig. The in-demand Rams tight ends coach was not interested in joining the Jets, he adds. Caley – who also took on the role of pass-game coordinator this season, his second in Los Angeles – was among the names to watch regarding offensive coordinator options once it became clear Glenn was on track to land the Jets’ head coaching position.

A subsequent report confirmed the 42-year-old was New York’s No. 1 candidate for the position. In spite of that, Caley has elected to turn his attention elsewhere. The Jets face uncertainty over Aaron Rodgers‘ future and therefore their outlook at the quarterback position, making their opening one which can be seen as less attractive than others around the league. Caley has interviewed with the Texans and Buccaneers for their OC positions, and he will likely remain in the running on at least one of those fronts as the coordinator landscape takes shape in the coming days.

With their top option off the market, Hughes adds that Tanner Engstrand remains the Jets’ likely hire for offensive coordinator. Earlier this week, it was reported a confidence exists around the league for the Lions’ pass-game coordinator to follow Glenn to New York, so today’s update comes as no surprise. Engstrand, 42, arrived in Detroit in 2020, and spent the past four years working alongside Glenn under head coach Dan Campbell. An internal promotion was considered by the Lions after Ben Johnson‘s departure, leaving Engstrand as a candidate to remain in the Motor City for 2025.

Instead, the Lions went with John Morton as their new OC, leaving Engstrand’s future in the air. The latter could of course remain in his current position for 2025, but joining the Jets would allow him to handle coordinator duties in the NFL for the first time in his career. No other team has shown interest in Engstrand to date, but it would come as no surprise if an in-person Jets interview were to be arranged in the near future with a hire following shortly therafter.

With the Jets’ search potentially entering its final stage, here is an updated look at where it stands:

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