Jets part ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, source confirms

Aaron Glenn continues to shake up his coaching staff.

Tanner Engstrand will not return as the Jets offensive coordinator, a league source confirmed Tuesday. That makes nine open positions currently for the Jets. Glenn fired seven coaches last week and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks during the season.

Glenn is making sweeping changes following a disheartening and disconcerting 3-14 season. He will be on the hot seat if the Jets don’t show marked improvement in 2026.

Engstrand’s departure is surprising because of the timing of it. The Jets’ season ended more than three weeks ago and the plan was for Engstrand to remain. His role and responsibilities were likely to change though. Glenn was expected to strip Engstrand of his play-calling duties.

The two, who worked together in Detroit, had multiple conversations about Engstrand’s role moving forward, the source said. They made the mutual decision to part ways. The Jets’ search for a new offensive coordinator will start immediately.

Glenn already had been speaking with offensive coaches. One name that has been linked to the Jets is Frank Reich, who was born in Freeport. Reich was a longtime quarterback and has been a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL.

Engstrand, who was the Lions passing game coordinator under Ben Johnson previously, oversaw an offense that ranked at or near the bottom in several categories. The Jets were 29th in scoring and total offense (263.6 yards per game), last in passing yards (2,784) and tied for last in passing touchdowns (15).

The quarterback situation was an overall mess.

Justin Fields was signed to a two-year, $30 million contract to be the starter, but he struggled mightily and was benched in Week 11. Tyrod Taylor replaced Fields but got injured in Week 13. The Jets finished the season with undrafted rookie Brady Cook leading the offense. They totaled 24 points over the final three games.

The Jets need to improve the coaching on both sides of the football. Building a stronger infrastructure to develop a quarterback was the priority after Fields’ struggles this season. The Jets are likely to select a quarterback in this draft.

It has been and will be difficult for the Jets to get top-level coaches since Glenn is viewed as someone who could be fired next season. There have been reports of coaches declining to interview for the Jets’ defensive coordinator position because of the potential lack of stability.

Glenn moving on from so many of his hand-picked coaches after one season won’t appeal to candidates either. But Glenn is in survival mode.

Additionally, Glenn is late to the game. There have been 10 head coaching vacancies this offseason and seven have been filled. Those coaches have or are in the process of putting their staffs together. There is better job security with those teams.

Last week, Glenn fired quarterbacks coach Charles London, passing game coordinator Scott Turner, defensive line coach Eric Washington, linebackers coach Aaron Curry, assistant defensive backs coach Dre Bly and defensive assistants Alonso Escalante and Roosevelt Williams.

The Jets have interviewed nine candidates for the defensive coordinator job. They held a virtual interview on Tuesday with former Dolphins passing game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker, who coached with Glenn in Detroit.

It’s possible that Glenn will take a more active role and call the defense after letting Wilks do that for 14 games and Chris Harris for the final three. Harris is a candidate to return as defensive coordinator.

Glenn also interviewed Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, Daronte Jones, Jim O’Neil, Ephraim Banda, DeMarcus Covington and Mathieu Araujo for the coordinator position. Jones, O’Neil and Araujo have been hired or received contract extensions so they’re no longer candidates.

Martindale was considered a front-runner for the job. He flew in over the weekend for an in-person second interview with Glenn. The fact that Glenn conducted a virtual first interview with Duker on Tuesday means things are not progressing with Martindale.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.