Jon Gruden is denying a report that he turned down an opportunity to join the Jets’ coaching staff.
Gruden said on WDAE that he didn’t hear anything from the Jets, and he suggested that most of what’s been said about his potential return to coaching has been false.
“There’s a lot of reports we’re not going to get into. There’s a lot of stupid rumors out there. Some of these reports are ridiculous,” Gruden said. “Let’s just say that there was never anything from the Jets and I wish them well in their search for a new offensive coordinator.”
Gruden lost his job as head coach of the Raiders when offensive emails he had sent surfaced during the 2021 season. He has done some consulting with NFL teams since then, but he hasn’t returned to coaching.
The 62-year-old Gruden went 117-112 in his coaching career, which included two stints as coach of the Raiders and one with the Buccaneers. His Bucs team won Super Bowl XXXVII.
Nathaniel Hackett is back on a coaching staff as a position coach.
The Dolphins have hired Hackett as their quarterbacks coach, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports.
Hackett spent last season as a defensive analyst for the Packers.
He previously was the offensive coordinator for the Bills (2013-14), Jaguars (2016-18), Packers (2019-21) and Jets (2023-24). He was the Jaguars’ quarterbacks coach in 2015-16, and the Broncos’ head coach in 2022.
Hackett went 4-11 in his 15 games as head coach before the Broncos fired him.
Now the question becomes: Who will be the starter in Hackett’s quarterbacks room?
The Dolphins are expected to move on from Tua Tagovailoa after benching him for rookie Quinn Ewers, who started the final three games.
The possibility of a one-and-done stint for Jets coach Aaron Glenn was real, and a significant buyout likely became a major factor in getting him another season. The massive overhaul in the initial coaching staff Glenn hired says plenty about where things may go if the situation doesn’t improve.
Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks during the season. This week, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand was fired.
In between, Glenn fired quarterbacks coach Charles London, pass game coordinator Scott Turner, linebackers coach Aaron Curry, defensive line coach Eric Washington, assistant defensive backs coach Dre Bly, defensive assistant Alonso Escalante, and defensive assistant Roosevelt Williams.
That’s nine of 21 assistants, dumped after one year. Which definitely creates buyout obligations.
But nothing like the $40 million or more than Glenn would have been owed for the remaining four years on his contract.
The changes to a group of coaches Glenn hired only one year ago makes it clear that the clock is already ticking, and that the heat is already rising for Glenn.
The Jets announced the completion of five virtual interviews for its offensive coordinator opening.
They have talked to Darrell Bevell, Ronald Curry, Frank Reich, Greg Roman and Lunda Wells.
Bevell, 56, spent the past four seasons as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. He was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive coordinator in 2021 before taking over interim head coach duties for the team’s final four games.
Curry, 46, was the Bills’ quarterbacks coach the past two seasons. He was on the Saints’ staff from 2016-23, handling several roles during his time with Sean Payton. He overlapped with Aaron Glenn in New Orleans from 2016-20.
Reich, 64, is currently a senior adviser at Stanford. He served as the interim head coach for the Cardinal during the 2025 season, leading the team to its most wins since 2020. Reich has over a decade of NFL coaching experience, most recently as the head coach of the Panthers (2023).
Roman, 53, has served as NFL offensive coordinator for 12 of the past 14 seasons, with the Chargers (2024-25), Ravens (2019-22), Bills (2015-16) and San Francisco 49ers (2011-14).
Wells, 42, has spent the past six seasons as the tight ends coach for the Cowboys.
The Jets have found their new defensive coordinator, hiring Brian Duker for the job today.
Duker hadn’t been publicly identified as a candidate for the job until yesterday, when he became the ninth candidate to interview to become the Jets’ defensive coordinator. He must have made a good impression, getting the job quickly in a crowded field of candidates.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn already knew Duker well, having worked with him in Detroit from 2021 to 2023.
The 36-year-old Duker spent the last two seasons as the Dolphins’ secondary coach/defensive pass game coordinator and was a defensive backs coach, safeties coach, and defensive assistant for the Lions while Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator.
In his first season as a head coach, Glenn went just 3-14 with the Jets last season. Glenn kept his own job, but he has made significant changes up and down his coaching staff. Duker will be among the most important additions in 2026.
