The New York Jets have secured their new head coach for the foreseeable future in former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Unfortunately for Lions fans, Glenn is not leaving Detroit empty-handed. On paper, he faces a challenging task in taking on the Jets’ head coaching position, as the team has struggled to surpass the .500 mark for the past nine seasons. As Glenn aims to establish his own culture in New York, he seems determined to create a mini-Lions coaching staff.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jets have reached an agreement with Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden to become their new offensive line coach. Additionally, there are strong connections to Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who is rumored to be a top candidate for the offensive coordinator role.
The #Jets agreed to terms with #Lions TE coach Steve Heiden as their new offensive line coach, per source.
With Tanner Engstrand the favorite to come aboard as offensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn is building out his own version of Detroit’s offense in New York. pic.twitter.com/XV15TQYdMs
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025
It appears that bringing in multiple members of the Lions coaching staff could be a smart move for the Jets, considering their recent success. However, this transition has contributed to the ongoing exodus of the Lions’ coaching staff, which has seen nearly ten assistant coaches depart since their Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders this offseason.
Only time will tell how these developments impact the Jets and the Lions moving forward. On paper, it seems that the gap between these two teams may be narrowing based on their respective coaching staffs.
