Are New York Jets Hinting to Ownership They Want Detroit Lions’ Leadership?

Another New York Jets player mentioned the leadership of the Detroit Lions during an interview this week.

Pat McAfee hugs Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn before the game between Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the New York Jets move toward the end of the season and full-bore into a job search, it’s likely that some of the candidates for general manager and head coach will come from the Detroit Lions.

If Jets owner Woody Johnson isn’t already planning to do so, his players may be hinting.

Per ESPN, on Monday Jets safety Chuck Clark talked about building a winning culture in New York. He pointed to the Lions as a good example.

This comes a week after quarterback Aaron Rodgers specifically called out the leadership in the Lions’ organization as they have risen to the top of the NFC.

The NFL is a copycat league in many ways. It's also a league where teams tend to raid other teams that are experiencing great success. The Lions are in the midst of a run they haven't had in decades, one that could potentially culminate in their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Once the regular season ends, New York can start interviewing candidates that are connected to other teams. Per Rich Cimini at ESPN, there are plenty of potential candidates and one connection to the Jets.

It starts with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, a former Jets Pro Bowl defensive back who appears poised to be a head coach. He is reportedly interested in the Jets’ job. If the Lions get the No. 1 seed and the bye, Glenn could interview during that bye.

The Lions also have a highly-covered offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, who is expected to be the hottest candidate on the carousel that hasn’t already been a head coach.

In the Detroit front office there is assistant general manager Ray Agnew, who has been in NFL personnel and coaching for more than 20 years, before which he was a defensive tackle for three years with the Rams, during which he won a Super Bowl ring.

Finally, there is John Dorsey, who is a senior personnel director. He fits a criteria the Jets may be looking for that the other three don’t — previous experience in the job. He was previously the general manager for both Kansas City and Cleveland.

As the GM in Kansas City, he drafted much of the core of the team that has won three Super Bowl titles, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes II. He also played in the NFL.

New York has interviewed three candidates for general manager last week — former Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson and Senior Bowl director and former NFL scout Jim Nagy.