2 candidates officially set to interview for New York Jets’ offensive coordinator opening
On Saturday, it was reported that two candidates are set to interview for the New York Jets‘ offensive coordinator position, and both names are on the surprising side.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Jets have already interviewed Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo. Ian Rapoport adds that the Jets also plan to interview Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley.
The #Jets interviewed #Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo for their offensive coordinator job Friday, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2023
#Patriots TEs coach Nick Caley will also interview this week, source said. NYJ’s request is in. https://t.co/27AD4AyO3S
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2023
Caley was already reported as a potential candidate, but Patullo is a new addition to the mix.
Patullo’s name might sound familiar to Jets fans. He was the Jets’ quarterbacks coach from 2015 to 2016, the span in which Ryan Fitzpatrick was the Jets’ starting quarterback. Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and Christian Hackenberg were also on the roster during this time.
After his tenure in New York, Patullo joined Texas A&M as a senior offensive analyst in 2017. Patullo returned to the NFL in 2018 as the Colts’ wide receivers coach, a role he held for two seasons. In 2020, Patullo moved to a pass game specialist role in Indianapolis. The Eagles hired Patullo as their pass game coordinator in 2021.
The year before Patullo arrived, Philadelphia’s passing offense ranked 29th in DVOA. The Eagles rose to 14th in Patullo’s first season and climbed to ninth in 2022.
Patullo is the second member of Philadelphia’s coaching staff who has been rumored to be an option for the Jets. Quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson has also been mentioned as an option by Rapoport, although it is not yet known whether the Jets plan to interview Johnson.
Patullo and Johnson both came to the Eagles in 2021 and have aided in the development of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had a rough rookie year in 2020 before the two coaches arrived. Hurts made solid progress in his second season before taking a massive leap to stardom in 2022.
Based on what has been reported to this point in time, Caley and Patullo are the only two candidates who the Jets have interviewed or plan to interview. Most likely, more names will emerge soon. Considering that Patullo’s name did not come up until after the Jets already interviewed him, it seems like the Jets are keeping things quiet.
Whomever they hire should be someone who can understand and motivate the people under his management, not just the xs and os on a computer screen. A great example is how Doug Peterson has allowed Trevor Lawrence to reach his potential by showing confidence in him. Lawrence was even able to overcome a disastrous first half of playoff football to win his first playoff game. That reflects tremendously on the coaching he has received.
Jets have openings at OC, WR & OL coach. Believe Jets will hire a Veteran OC, like Bevell. And a Passing Game Coordinator that will have double as Quarterback Coach, or double as WR Coach.