One down, one to go?

At least, that is how New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn sees it.

New York has already hired its defensive coordinator, Brian Duker, who will assist Glenn in fixing a unit that was much-maligned last season. On offense, though, the Jets are still looking for a coordinator after parting ways with Tanner Engstrand.

As of Wednesday night, we have an official list of names in the running. The Jets unveiled the five coaches whom they have interviewed for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Lunda Wells, Ronald Curry, Darrell Bevell, Greg Roman, and Frank Reich are the offensive minds who have interviewed for the Jets’ offensive coordinator role.

Three of these coaches stand out as the clear-cut top options, and they all have one thing in common.

The unfortunate truth of Jets’ play-caller options

When an aging but well-known offensive mind is available, there are clear reasons why they aren’t as coveted among league circles as they had been before.

In the modern league, fresh schematic ideas are required for offenses to be successful. If a coordinator is coming in to call plays, he must have a scheme and an understanding of play-calling that stresses defenses out in the current NFL landscape.

At some point in each candidate’s career, they accomplished those goals. It’s why they’re a recognizable name.

But if they are on the open market, it has probably been a long time since they pulled it off.

Bevell was an OC for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2000s and the Seattle Seahawks in the early 2010s. However, his recent runs as an OC leave plenty to be desired. His Lions offenses struggled from 2019-20, and his 2021 stint in Jacksonville was a disaster. Since then, he has been the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

Bevell was certainly a celebrated play-caller in his heyday, but there’s a reason teams have avoided him. A lack of adaptation in his scheme has harmed him.

The same could be said for Roman and Reich, two coaches who have gotten great quarterback play from several different signal-callers, but not for a long while. Both were fired multiple times in recent years due to their struggles.

New York’s interview list does include a pair of inexperienced candidates in Curry and Wells. But with the demands of a “head coach of the offense” expected to come from Glenn, neither seems to be a likely hire.

Because of that, the race appears to be between Bevell, Reich, and Roman, with Reich the top man for the job at this point. Despite the very clear baggage each brings to the table, they do fill Glenn’s immediate need for someone who is experienced enough to handle the offense on their own.

He just has to hope that’s enough to save his offense and his job in 2026.