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The New York Jets are looking to make an addition to its coaching staff.
Former Carolina Panthers running back coach Duce Staley is in contract discussions with both the Cleveland Browns and Gang Green, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland dot com. She described it as a “competition” between the two teams and revealed that both teams are planning on offering him a contract.
It is unclear what position Staley would be taking over with the Jets if he accepted the contract offer. Taylor Embree is still listed as the Jets running backs coach on the team website.
The last time the Jets got into a coaching competition with the Cleveland Browns, they lost. In 2023 New York requested to speak with offensive line coach Bill Callahan for their offensive coordinator job. He declined the request and instead signed an extension to stay with the Browns, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.
Staley Has a Rich History in the NFL as a Player and a Coach
Head coach Robert Saleh told the media at his end-of-the-season availability that he wasn’t expecting significant changes to the staff.
Perhaps he has had a change of heart.
Staley has been coaching in the NFL since 2011. The majority of that run was spent with the Philadelphia Eagles in an array of roles for a decade. That included stints as the special teams quality control coach, running backs coach, and assistant head coach.
In 2021 he joined the Detroit Lions as both the assistant head coach and running backs coach. He was there for two seasons prior to joining the Panthers most recently in 2023.
However, Staley only lasted a handful of months before he was fired alongside then-head coach Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
Before becoming a coach, Staley spent a decade in the NFL with two different teams. The former South Carolina running back finished with 5,785 rushing yards, 34 total touchdowns, and he won a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.
Jets Looking to Retain Key Coach
The green and white is also looking to secure a key piece of its coaching staff for the foreseeable future.
Rich Cimini of ESPN revealed in a column he posted on Sunday, January 21 that defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton is scheduled to be a free agent.
“Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, who heads the top position group on the team, will be a free agent at the end of the month. The Jets are trying to hammer out an extension, a person familiar with the situation said. Whitecotton, the line coach since 2021, is well-respected by his players. He’s also close with safeties coach Marquand Manuel, who interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive coordinator vacancy. It’s something to keep an eye on,” Cimini explained.
The Jets have struggled in a lot of areas during the Saleh era, but one place they haven’t is on the defensive line. It has been the backbone of the team since 2021.
Whitecotton has been responsible for breakouts like Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, and Bryce Huff to name a few. If he were to leave that would be a massive loss for Gang Green.
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