Former Detroit Lions coach Tanner Engstrand and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both departed for different opportunities this offseason. The duo signed deals to head over to the New York Jets, stepping away from a contender to try and help revive a franchise that's shown some minor signs of life over the past few seasons - Glenn as the head coach, and Engstrand at OC.
Engstrand, specifically, had worked under Ben Johnson while he was the offensive coordinator for the Lions. As his No. 2, it's to be assumed that Engstrand took a thing or two from his time working under Johnson's often wacky offensive scheming.
That would explain a clip that circulated this past week from Jets OTAs showing offensive linemen getting in on route running. It looks like the Jets are holding tryouts for their Dan Skipper role.
We’ve got big men running routes at #Jets practice! pic.twitter.com/glUrp5ISgC
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) June 12, 2025
If you haven't watched any Lions games over the last few years, allow us to point out why this clearly shows some influence was carried over from the Lions' offense: it has been honestly not shocking to see linemen get involved on offense in-game - beyond just blocking, they've been asked to run routes, actually catch passes, and (on occassion) score.
That's what makes this clip a bit funny. To Jets fans, it might seem a bit ridiculous. To Lions fans, it's obvious that Engstrand, the new Jets OC, might want to bring some of the goofier elements from Detroit's playbook into practices, at the very least, just to see if any of New York's offensive linemen have the potential to be more involved in the offense this season.
Tanner Engstrand bringing Lions schemes to Jets OTAs
Engstrand was a key hire for New York as they look to add more dimension to a typically flat, ground-and-pound, and predictable offense. After dealing with a slowed-down Aaron Rodgers for the last several years, they needed a change of pace badly.
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Glenn and Engstrand were great hires for the Jets as both are coming from a Dan Campbell-led team that has become one of the well-known no-nonsense environments in the NFL. That's exactly the kind of energy the Jets need, especially with such a young and talented core helmed by Garrett Wilson, Justin Fields, and Breece Hall.
Here's hoping to see that Lions influence in Engstrand's offense this year, as it'd be fun to see Detroit's influence beyond the NFC.