Frank Reich is Jets’ new offensive coordinator

The New York Jets have hired former Colts and Panthers head coach Frank Reich as their offensive coordinator, according to Schefter.

A former NFL quarterback, Reich succeeds Tanner Engstrand, who was fired after one season on coach Aaron Glenn’s staff. He spent last season as Stanford’s interim head coach and went 4-8 (3-5 ACC). Reich also spent five-and-a-half seasons coaching in Indianapolis and Carolina. He was 40-33-1 in Indy and twice took the Colts to the playoffs despite never having a stable QB situation. That eventually caught up with him when he was fired midway through his fifth season in 2022.

The Panthers hired him for the following season and tasked him with developing rookie QB Bryce Young, but that was over before it could even begin. Even with a bad O-line, Reich and Young clearly couldn’t get on the same page and Reich was fired after a 1-10 start.

That’s not the most impressive track record as a head coach, but Frank Reich has thrived as a coordinator and other roles on coaching staffs. He has two Super Bowl rings. One as a Colts coaching intern at Super Bowl XLI, the other as the Eagles’ OC in Super Bowl LII. The Philly Special game in which backup QB Nick Foles outdueled Tom Brady and the Bill Belichick Patriots.

Reich also made the most of his early experience in Indianapolis too. He was the Colts’ quarterbacks coach in 2009 and ’10 under Jim Caldwell, making another Super Bowl run before losing to the Saints. Reich has also coached with the Cardinals and Chargers.

As to how strong a fit Frank Reich is with the Jets? That’s anyone’s guess. He wasn’t a great OC in San Diego, but that was largely a personnel problem. The roster didn’t have capable talent beyond Philip Rivers at QB, plus Keenan Allen and an aging Antonio Gates in the receiving game. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, he helps lead the Birds to a Super Bowl on the backup QB’s back.

However, the Jets are arguably setting Reich up for success early. New York has two first-round picks in 2026. The No. 2 overall and the No. 16 via the Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade. Assuming the Raiders roll with national champion and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, it’s likely the Jets wind up with Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Unless, of course, Reich and Glenn have another plan in mind. Maybe taking a gamble on Malik Willis in free agency? Neither the draft nor the market is particularly rich with quarterback talent.

That being said, regardless of what the Jets do on Draft Day, Frank Reich is coming to MetLife with a clean slate. New York has not made the playoffs since the days of Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez. Herman Edwards was the coach the last time the Jets had a proper homegrown QB in Chad Pennington. The team needs a pick-me-up over ten years ago.

For a franchise already beset by rumors of meddling ownership (again), nothing would be better for Reich to step in and immediately succeed.