After interviewing Mike Vrabel and Ron Rivera for their head coach vacancy, alongside scheduling an interview with Rex Ryan, two more rumored candidates have emerged on the New York Jets’ radar.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Jets have “internally discussed interest” in interviewing two offensive coordinators whose teams are headed to the playoffs: Pittsburgh’s Arthur Smith and Washington’s Kliff Kingsbury.
Smith and Kingsbury both recently served as head coaches in the NFL. Smith was the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach from 2021-23, posting a record of 21-30, while Kingsbury was the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach from 2019-22, finishing 28-37-1.
While neither coach won a playoff game during their respective head coaching tenures, both men have rebuilt their stock with successful 2024 seasons in the OC role.
Smith has helped facilitate a bounce-back season from veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. Kingsbury has overseen the shocking breakout of a Commanders offense that ranks seventh-best in offensive DVOA, sparked by the rookie-year excellence of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Both coaches have spoken to the Jets in the past. New York interviewed Kingsbury in 2019 before he was hired by Arizona, and they did the same with Smith in 2021 before he was hired by Atlanta. The Jets also pursued Smith this past offseason after he was fired by the Falcons, offering him a role as an offensive consultant, but he turned it down in favor of the higher title in Pittsburgh.
Time will tell if the Jets can actually land an interview with Smith or Kingsbury; their playoff schedules will complicate matters. It is worth noting, though, that a trend is emerging in the Jets’ search for a head coach. So far, New York is leaning heavily toward candidates with past experience as a head coach.
