It looks like the New York Jets may see an answer to their offensive coordinator opening from the coaching staff of one of their greatest rivals.
This season will go down as one of the more frustrating years in recent Jets’ memory. While not much was expected from the team in 2022-2023, New York surprised with a defensive unit that was ahead of schedule and was led by rookie cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner. At one point, the Jets were 7-4 and seemed primed to score a playoff spot.
However, for as good as their defense was at times this season, their offensive unit hampered them every step of the way in their eventual 7-10 finish. Much of that falls on the poor play of their quarterback position, with second-year man Zach Wilson at the forefront. Yet, the play calling of the offense left a lot to be desired as well.
That is why offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was dismissed from his role last week, and now the organization is in search of a new OC that can help bring the offensive unit closer to the level of their defense. And it seems one potential candidate for the Jets job could come from one of their top rivals.
New York Jets speaking with veteran OC Darrell Bevell
On Monday, NFL Network league insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the Jets are looking at the Miami Dolphins quarterback coach as a possible answer at offensive coordinator.
“The Jets plan to speak with 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.”
– Report on Jets OC search
At one point during this past season, the Dolphins’ offense was one of the best in the league as the passing attack was absolutely deadly and QB Tua Tagovailoa seemed to be evolving into a legitimate franchise QB. However, concussions to the signal caller and scouting reports getting out on the new scheme led to a downturn in the unit toward the end of the season. Bevell certainly deserves some credit for their successes last season.
The 53-year-old previously coached for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars. In Detroit and Jacksonville, he ended up serving as an interim head coach but never landed a full-time job after accumulating a 2-7 record in those opportunities.
Also of note, is that despite a solid resume as an OC, Bevell’s offenses have only ranked top-10 in yards gained three times in his career as a coordinator (via Bleacher Report).
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