The New York Jets released their interview list for the vacant defensive coordinator job.
Candidly, the list lacked sizzle.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explained why head coach Aaron Glenn’s list lacked “household names.”
“Other candidates the Jets looked into weren’t interested in the job. That’s what Glenn is up against as he attempts to rebuild his coaching staff, especially on the defensive side: This is not the most appealing opportunity. The biggest reason is the perception that Glenn could be on the hot seat with another bad season, and sought-after coordinators typically aren’t eager to take jobs if the head coach is a lame duck,” Rosenblatt wrote.
“There has been no indication from Jets owner Woody Johnson that Glenn is on the hot seat heading into 2026, but Johnson also hasn’t spoken since the league meetings in October, when he placed blame for the Jets’ struggles on the shoulders of Justin Fields and expressed his belief that Glenn was still the man for the job,” Rosenblatt added.
The Biggest Name on Jets List Is the One to Watch
The Jets rumored interest in Wink Martindale continues to churn.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic revealed that Martindale is a “leading contender” and an “early front runner for the job.”
Head coach Aaron Glenn “spoke” with Martindale before the end of the season about the vacancy. Rosenblatt said it’s unclear if Glenn spoke with any of the other candidates on the list before the season was over.
Will the Real Problem Please Stand Up?
Another unattractive part of this Jets DC gig is the talent level on the defensive side of the ball.
“This is a defense that currently lacks blue-chip players and is certainly lacking playmakers (you don’t go an entire season with zero interceptions if you’re brimming with ballhawks). That’s not to say there’s no talent — at their best, Jowon Briggs, Harrison Phillips, Will McDonald, Jermaine Johnson, Jamien Sherwood, and Brandon Stephens can all be starting-caliber players, though most of them lacked any sort of consistency in 2025,” Rosenblatt bluntly explained.
“Young players such as Jarvis Brownlee, Azareye’h Thomas, and Malachi Moore also flashed, though Brownlee and Thomas missed much of the season with injuries. But the Jets have to contend with the other teams in search of a new defensive coordinator, and most of them have more appealing rosters,” Rosenblatt said.
The real question is, who was the problem in 2025?
Did some of these players, like McDonald, Johnson, and Sherwood, regress because they aren’t that good? Or was it the scheme that Steve Wilks ran that made them look not good?
That is a fundamental question the Jets need to answer inside their building. If it were a scheme problem, then hopefully the next DC can fix that by putting his players in better positions.
However, if it were a talent issue, the Jets need to make some big-boy decisions on several of those players. Do you keep McDonald and/or Johnson? Or do you ship them off to the highest bidder via trade and start from scratch?
Sherwood, you paid $45 million this past offseason to be the straw that stirs the drink. If you think he is shot, do you just sell him off to another team that believes in his upside? Or do you hope he can turn it around in your new scheme?
We have a lot more questions than answers at this point.
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