The New York Jets have hired Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand as the new offensive coordinator.
According to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, that is bad news for Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Jets.
“I was just gonna say this makes me think [there is a] zero percent chance Aaron Rodgers is in New York because I think that would be really risky as an organization with a new head coach to go hey we are going to take one of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the league and pair him with a guy who likes to do it one way and pair him with a guy who has never called plays before in the NFL. He has only been in the NFL for four years,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “NFL Live.”
Clearly the Jets Are Aaron Glenn’s Team Now
For the last two calendar years, the Jets catered to Rodgers and his demands. This was the Rodgers show and the team chose to live and die by that.
Now at the start of 2025, the Jets have handed the keys of the car to new head coach Aaron Glenn.
Glenn made it clear at his introductory press conference that no individual player is above the team and that this isn’t about Rodgers – it’s about the team.
If that wasn’t clear at the presser, it certainly is based on who he hired to run his offense.
Engstrand, 42, isn’t a Rodgers disciple. They never directly crossed paths in their respective coaching and playing careers.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini admitted that the Engstrand addition “adds to the uncertainty of a Rodgers return.”
“What I find interesting [is] if it is Aaron Rodgers which is the question hanging over everything, what Aaron Rodgers likes to do on offense is diametrically opposed from that under center, play action, Lions scheme. So this could be like tea leaves that maybe they do not expect the quarterback to come back,” ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes explained on “NFL Live.”
The assumption is Engstrand will run a “Lions-like system” according to Cimini. Engstrand has been with Detroit since the 2020 season.
“It’s different from what Rodgers did last season. The Lions ran a league-high 39% of their plays from under center, while the Jets ran 15% (15th), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Rodgers was comfortable in shotgun because it put less stress on his surgically repaired Achilles and other leg injuries that came up throughout the season. Also, no team used play-action more than the Lions (37%), significantly more than the Jets at 23% (17th),” Cimini revealed.
An Interesting Rodgers-Jets Question
Is an old dog willing to learn new tricks?
Rodgers, 41, just completed season No. 20 in the National Football League.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini told me on “Boy Green Daily” that Rodgers has only played in one maybe two different offenses throughout his entire career.
“Does Rodgers, at this stage of his career, want to learn a new system taught by a first-time playcaller? The last time he had to do it was 2019, Matt LaFleur’s first year with the Green Bay Packers — and that turned controversial when Rodgers complained about not having the freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage. Eventually, LaFleur relented,” Cimini recalled.
We still have more questions than answers.
Rodgers hasn’t decided if he even wants to play football in 2025. Once he reaches that conclusion, the Jets can then go through their own process to decide if they want him back or if they have to explore door No. 2 at the QB position.
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