New York Jets Considered This Major Coaching Move in Offseason

The New York Jets considered making a major coaching move during this NFL offseason.

Dec 25, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are locked and loaded for the start of NFL training camp next month. As of right now, they appear to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but there are a lot of questions surrounding the team.

While Nathaniel Hackett is entering his second season as the team's offensive coordinator, the Jets contemplated making a move to bring in another offensive mind to the staff.

According to a report from The Athletic, New York talked to now Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith about being a part of the play-calling process.

"Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was one of those coaches that the Jets talked to about possibly being part of the play-calling process, as reported on the first episode of The Athletic’s new NFL podcast, Scoop City."

Hackett would have remained on the coaching staff, but Smith would have had a hand in offensive strategy.

Clearly, the Jets are not all-in with Hackett. Bringing in another voice to work with play-calling signals that they don't trust that Hackett is doing the best job in the world.

However, firing Hackett would not have sat well with superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Hackett has been close with Rodgers since their mutual time with the Green Bay Packers.

Entering the 2024 campaign, there have been reports that the coaching staff as a whole is on the hot seat. That all starts with head coach Robert Saleh, who many thought New York could consider firing this offseason. While they opted to keep the coaching staff around, they won't have a long leash.

If the Jets end up struggling and coming up short of expectations again, ownership will likely step in and look to replace the staff.

Bill Belichick is a name that has come up as a potential replacement for Saleh. New York wants to win a championship and they're not going to allow a poor coaching staff to be the reason that they come up short.

All of that being said, the Jets can only hope that the team lives up to the hype this year. Going into a fresh start it this stage of Rodgers' career would not be ideal. They've put in so much work to get to this point and hopefully it pays off for them.