There’s a thin line separating the NFL’s strongest offensive-minded coaches and those with archaic principles. The ever-changing landscape of the NFL means that a great play-caller one year could be a liability the next.

That’s the reality surrounding New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

Considered one of the league’s best backup quarterbacks during his playing career, Reich built a reputation as a quarterback whisperer at the coaching ranks. Through his time as coach in the 2010s, Reich worked with signal-callers like Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, and Andrew Luck. His early years as a head coach in Indianapolis were marked by quality success.

But as the years went on, Reich’s system appeared to become stale. The same coaching practices that had been successful early in his career did not yield the same results more recently in his career.

Now, he takes over a Jets offense that was among the worst in the NFL last season.

While there is plenty of concern that Reich’s offense isn’t a fit for the modern game, one of his former coaches has made it clear how much of an upgrade the Jets recently made with his hire.

Reich’s former HC goes to bat for him

Reich is a former quarterback and head coach/play-caller, but his biggest success in the NFL came as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator from 2016 through the end of the 2017 season.

He never called a play during his time there, but Reich’s work in helping develop Wentz and then shifting the offensive philosophy for Foles was a key reason Philadelphia won the Super Bowl in 2017.

Along the way, he earned respect from former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.

“Frank was a big part, a big mentor in that room. His voice matching up with my voice in that quarterbacks room became very important,” Pederson said to Eric Allen on The Official Jets Podcast. “That’s what I was able to hand over to Frank at that time, obviously the game plans. But more importantly, because I couldn’t always be in the QBs room as much as I’d have liked to, Frank having that same voice for me was very important.”

Pederson was extremely complimentary of head coach Aaron Glenn and the message behind Reich’s hiring as the team’s offensive coordinator.

“I think it sends the right message to the team, that they’re heading in the right direction.”

But are they? As successful as Pederson was as a head coach, he, too, suffered from an inability to adapt his system with the Eagles and, eventually, with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Is Reich’s system, like Pederson’s, too archaic for the modern NFL, or is he the perfect hire for a young offense like the Jets have?

Like everything in the league, Riech’s success in New York will be tied directly to the quarterback and the health of the offensive line. If the Jets have a quality leader commanding the huddle and a line that dominates the line of scrimmage, chances are Reich will have plenty of success as a play-caller.

The challenge is that New York has not had both (quality quarterback play and a good offensive line) together at the same time for years. Reich’s experience as a play-caller can help stabilize the offense, but the ceiling ultimately comes down to the players.

Good players can make a mediocre scheme look successful. Good coaches can elevate mediocre talent. But on the rare occasion that a team has both, special things tend to happen.

The Jets are hoping Reich’s arrival, coupled with an infusion of talent in the 2026 offseason, will bring out that special season.