It's time. When the New York Jets hired Aaron Glenn as head coach before the 2025 season, it seemed like a great move; he was hugely successful as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and felt primed to be a very good NFL head coach. But after the Jets lost on Sunday to the previously winless Miami Dolphins, it's time to admit defeat. Hiring a head coach from the defensive side of the ball is risky in the modern NFL, and that risk hasn't paid off.

Glenn might not be fired during the year, but the writing is on the wall for him after the season ends. New York needs to make sure it has these three guys on the phone the moment that opening becomes real.

Grant Udinski, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator

Assuming Glenn doesn't save his job, two things are true this offseason for the Jets. The first is that the team needs to draft a quarterback. Geno Smith is nearing the end of his career and was just a placeholder in 2026, and rookie Cade Klubnik is very likely not the answer. The second is that, if the Jets do draft a quarterback, they then need to hire a head coach from the offensive side of the football to help that new quarterback out.

The first call that New York makes should be to Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. While he isn't the play-caller for the team, he's worked closely with Trevor Lawrence and has played a key role in helping Lawrence turn around a career that looked like it was heading for mediocrity. Udinski would be the right person to bring in to help move the Jets into the future.

If New York is worried about bringing in a young guy who hasn't been calling plays, then it can make sure Udinski adds a veteran coach with that kind of experience to the roster to ease the transition. That one concern shouldn't keep the team from hiring the best man for the job.

Declan Doyle, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator

Maybe the Jets decide that they'd rather go with someone who has play-calling experience, which would make sense. Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is a strong option if the team wants to go after a young guy with that kind of experience.

Doyle spent 2025 as the OC for the Chicago Bears, where he didn't call plays. He then took the Ravens job this season because it offered him a chance to call plays, and the results have been ... fine. The Lamar Jackson injury issue has impacted Doyle's ability to fully implement his offense, but he's still gaining valuable experience on the path toward becoming an NFL head coach eventually.

Doyle also has an advantage over the other young OC that I considered here, Davis Webb, which is that Webb began this season with play-calling duties in Denver only to have them taken back by Sean Payton. That definitely screams "not quite ready to be a head coach," and the Jets don't need to hire someone who still needs a little more time. Even if the Ravens aren't as good as the Broncos right now, Doyle feels closer to being an NFL head coach than Webb does.

Mike Tomlin, former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach

The one exception to the "bring in an offensive guy" thought process would be an experienced head coach who can hopefully carry the Jets out of their long, extended doldrums, and the most obvious name in that bucket is former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Sure, Tomlin has some issues. He struggled to find playoff success in the latter days of his Steelers tenure, and he failed to develop a quarterback during that time as well. But the main thing that makes Tomlin appealing is that he could instantly change the culture in New York. The Jets appear to be a broken franchise; the team last made the playoffs in 2010 and last finished over .500 in 2015. Tomlin, meanwhile, last finished under .500 ... never. He's never finished with a losing record as a head coach. He'd bring some stability to the Meadowlands.

As for the concern about quarterback development, the Jets have three first-round picks they can use to go up and get someone early in the draft. Tomlin never developed a quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger because he never had a chance to work with a good, young prospect again. As long as Tomlin gets the OC hire right, which he often did in Pittsburgh (see: Bruce Arians and Todd Haley from 2007-2017), then quarterback development probably won't be an issue.