Now that some playoff teams have been eliminated, expect the New York Jets to target more staff members from winning organizations for their vacant coaching roles on the offensive side. Chief among them is the OC job, and a well-respected veteran was the first name to circulate the NYJ community on the Monday after Super Wild Card Weekend.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported: “The Jets plan to speak with [Miami] Dolphins pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell for their vacant OC job, sources say. Bevell has served as OC for three different teams and could serve as a key veteran voice.”
Jets OC Candidate Dolphins’ Darrell Bevell Has Worked With Russell Wilson & Brett Favre Among Others
When the Jets first parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, Bevell was one of the top options that many hypothesized could be available.
At the time, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt listed him as a top candidate for the job, detailing: “The 53-year-old has been the offensive coordinator for four teams, including the [Seattle] Seahawks when [head coach Robert] Saleh was on the staff. This season, he’s worked with Mike McDaniel, who comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree, so the fit would be more seamless than some of the other veteran coaches on this list.”
Along with the Seahawks (2011 through 2017) and Russell Wilson — who Bevell won a Super Bowl with as the play-caller in 2013 — the long-time NFL coach served as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 through 2010, the Detroit Lions from 2019 through 2020, and the Jacksonville Jaguars for one campaign in 2021.
All told, he has put in 26 years of football coaching experience with 21 seasons in the NFL and 15 as an OC. Now that’s the type of experience that Jets fans are looking for.
Bevell has also worked with quarterbacks like the aforementioned Wilson, Brett Favre (twice), Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers (QB coach at the time he was drafted behind Favre), Trevor Lawrence, Tavaris Jackson (twice) and most recently, Tua Tagovailoa — who was an MVP dark horse in 2022 before his concussion injuries.
While Bevell’s career has certainly had its ups and downs — including the infamous Super Bowl 49 blunder not running the ball with Marshawn Lynch on the one-yard line against the New England Patriots — but the Jets would be hard-pressed to find an OC with this much quality experience (has coordinated eight top-15 offensives in terms of scoring and five of those eight were top-10).
He’s even experienced what it’s like to call the shots, as a two-time interim head coach with the Lions and Jaguars after Matt Patricia and Urban Meyer were fired mid-season.
Jets X-Factor’s Michael Nania provided an immediate reaction on Twitter, voicing: “Bevell is underrated. Gets too much flack for DET & JAX despite those situations being more the fault of terrible [head coaches]/no talent. Great work in Miami this year, built up the Seahawks elite run game and helped Russ [Wilson] develop, and led Favre to his best season at 40 in ’09.”
Jets Interviewed Former Colts OC Marcus Brady
On Sunday, January 15, Rapoport announced the Jets’ second official OC interview after Kevin Patullo spoke with the Green & White on Friday. “Jets coach Robert Saleh is interviewing former Colts OC Marcus Brady for their vacant OC job today,” he tweeted at the time.
Brady was more of a Canadian Football League riser before joining the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 as an assistant quarterbacks coach under ex-OC Nick Sirianni — who the Jets appear to like as a play-caller they’re trying to emulate.
He served as the offensive coordinator of the Montreal Alouettes for one season and the Toronto Argonauts for another five campaigns after that. Brady worked his way up inside the Colts organization, taking over as OC when Sirianni left to become the Philadelphia Eagles head coach.
After regressing from top-10 scoring offense and second-ranked rushing attack in 2021 to a 30th ranked scoring offense in 2022, Brady was fired midway through the season along with head coach Frank Reich. He quickly rejoined Sirianni as offensive consultant in Philly and has reportedly been working closely with the aforementioned Patullo.
The Jets would be his second NFL OC role if he were hired.
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Jets Speaking to Super Bowl Champion OC With 15 Years of Experience: Report