With the New York Jets poised for a complete cultural overhaul this offseason, hiring the right offensive coordinator will be crucial to the team’s future success.
Over the past decade-plus, the Jets offensive unit has struggled mightily, lacking stability and creativity. This offseason, the Jets must pursue a coordinator with a proven track record of developing talent and maximizing the unit’s overall production.
In short, innovation should be the name of the game.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three intriguing offensive coordinator candidates for the New York Jets this offseason.
Josh McCown, Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach
Josh McCown is no stranger to the Jets and the New York media, having spent two seasons as the team’s quarterback (2017, 2018).
McCown, 45, is currently in his first season as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback coach. Uncle Josh has played an instrumental role in revitalizing the career of his former Jets teammate Sam Darnold, who is having a breakout season, ranking fifth in touchdowns (32) and sixth in passing yards (3,776) this season.
Before joining the Vikings staff, McCown served as the Carolina Panther quarterbacks coach under head coach Frank Reich in 2023, his first NFL coaching job. Ultimately, the Panthers fired McCown 11 weeks into the season after a 1–10 start.
McCown, a 12-year NFL veteran, is well-respected around the league as a coach. He interviewed for the Houston Texans head coaching job in 2021 and 2022 after retiring in 2020.
McCown’s ability to connect with players and maximize quarterback production, along with his experience as a key figure in the Jets organization, makes him a compelling yet intriguing candidate for the Jets offensive coordinator job.
Tanner Engstrand, Detroit Lions Passing-Game Coordinator
In his fifth season with the Detroit Lions, Tanner Engstrand has helped turn the team’s offense into one of the league’s most fierce units, ranking fourth in offensive DVOA this season.
Throughout his five seasons with Detroit, Engstrand climbed his way up the ranks on the team’s coaching staff, starting as an offensive assistant (2020) and moving up to offensive quality control (2021) to pass game coordinator over the past three seasons (2022-24).
Engstrand has a compelling background in his coaching career, which expands beyond the NFL. Before joining Detroit, he spent the 2020 season as the offensive coordinator for the XFL’s DC Defenders.
If Detroit’s offensive Ben Johnson accepts a head coaching job this offseason, Engstrand will likely take over as Detroit’s OC. However, Johnson is not guaranteed to take a head coaching job this offseason and leave the Motor City.
Suppose Johnson stays in Detroit next season as the team’s OC. In that case, Engstrand is the perfect candidate for the Jets to poach and promote to a higher rank, given his experience with a very successful coaching staff and his role in game-planing and developing playmakers.
Engstrand’s background across various offensive roles makes him an even more compelling candidate for the Jets offensive coordinator job.
Joe Bleymaier, Kansas City Chiefs Passing-Game Coordinator
In his ninth season with the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Bleymaier has spent quite some time with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions and is a captivating candidate for the Jets offensive coordinator job.
Similar to Engstrand elsewhere, Bleymaier climbed the ranks on the Chiefs coaching staff, starting as the team’s director of offensive quality control (2016-2017), moving up to pass-game analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach (2018-2020), wide receivers coach (2021-2022), before ultimately settling in as the team’s passing game coordinator in 2023.
Last season, Kansas City’s passing game was elite, ranking eighth in DVOA and sixth in yards per game.
Bleymaier stands out due to his experience working with elite playmakers such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. Like Engstrand, Bleymaier is a key piece of an extremely successful coaching staff. He also has experience across various roles as an offensive coach, making him a strong fit for the Jets’ offensive coordinator job.
