Any list of Detroit Lions assistant coaches who could follow Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets naturally tilted toward defense, with quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell initially surfacing as an offensive coordinator candidate. But Glenn is pivoting to another Lions' offensive assistant.
According to NFL reporter Josina Anderson, the Jets are involved in "substantive discussions" with Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand for their offensive coordinator post.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC added, noting his sources "expressed confidence" Engstrand "will land the job."
Engstrand is later to the party as one of a few reported candidates for the Jets' offensive coordinator job (Brunell, Rams tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Nick Caley, Raiders offensive coordinator Scott Turner), but he now appears to be the favorite.
Engstrand has been with the Lions since 2020, rising from offensive assistant to offensive quality control coach (2021) to tight ends coach/passing game coordinator (2022) and to just passing game coordinator the last two seasons.
Lions in line to lose Tanner Engstrand to the Jets
Engstrand was easy to see as a strong possibility to be Ben Johnson's offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears, and he was also a top internal candidate to replace Johnson as the Lions' offensive coordinator. But Johnson has hired an offensive coordinator, and of course the Lions have instead gone outside the organization to hire John Morton as Johnson's replacement,
The length of Engstrand's coaching resume defies his age (42), starting as a grad assistant at the University of San Diego in 2005. He was at the school through 2017, the last of his five seasons as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks. He reunited with Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan in 2018, then worked as offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the DC Defenders in the first iteration of the XFL in 2020 before joining the Lions.
Glenn's interest in Engstrand is not surprising at all, it was just hard to see the Jets (or wherever Glenn went as the head coach) as Engstrand's most prominent option as the coaching carousel got moving. But those other options that seemed to exist are gone, so Glenn is now making a full push to try to get Engstrand as his offensive coordinator.
Update, Jan. 29, 11:00 p.m. ET: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, along with reporting Lions tight end coach Steve Heiden will be the Jets' offensive line coach under Glenn, added Engstrand is the favorite to be the Jets' offensive coordinator.
The #Jets agreed to terms with #Lions TE coach Steve Heiden as their new offensive line coach, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025
With Tanner Engstrand the favorite to come aboard as offensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn is building out his own version of Detroit’s offense in New York. pic.twitter.com/XV15TQYdMs