Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn struggled massively in his first year as the New York Jets head coach. The Jets finished the 2025 season with the second-worst record in the league (3-14), and New York didn’t record an interception on defense after bringing in Glenn due to his expertise on that side of the ball.
The Jets’ offensive struggles fall on Glenn, but they're shared by ex-Lion Tanner Engstrand, who stepped into the offensive coordinator role for the first time in his career. Engstrand didn’t have it easy, as the Jets’ QB play was shoddy at best, and the lack of weapons at WR was noticeable.
However, despite those factors, it seems like Glenn is making a change to Engstrand’s role. On Saturday, Connor Hughes of SNY reported that the first-year coordinator is not expected to call plays next season. Hughes adds that the Jets are still determining Engstrand’s role, and a new playcaller will be added to the staff.
Tanner Engstrand's Demotion Worth Lions Keeping Tabs on for Reunion
It’s disappointing to hear that Glenn will be making his change, as it was Engstrand’s first year in the role, and he didn’t have the best hand of cards to work with. The fact that the Jets are looking for a veteran playcaller to take over the reins doesn’t bode well for Engstrand's future, as he could decide to leave after next offseason with things going south quickly.
If that scenario plays out for Engstrand, who’s to say that head coach Dan Campbell won’t reach out about a role in his offensive coaching staff? We saw Campbell go back to John Morton for the OC gig after Morton spent the previous two years with the Denver Broncos.
Now, that decision ultimately did not work out in the Lions’ favor, though Campbell believed Morton was the best bet. He’ll hope that Drew Petzing is the right guy for the OC gig next season. But if he fails at the job, it provides even more reason for Campbell to give Engstrand another look.
Engstrand began his coaching career in the Motor City, where he spent five seasons in various offensive roles – offensive assistant coach, offensive quality coach, offensive passing game coordinator, and tight ends coach. If there’s anybody who knows what Campbell likes, it would be Engstrand.
That said, it remains to be seen what Engstrand’s new role is. A massive demotion allows the Lions to consider poaching him for an elevated assistant or position-coach spot in the near future.