The New York Jets ended their 2024 campaign on a high note − with QB Aaron Rodgers becoming just the fifth NFL player to pass for 500 touchdowns in a career.
He would throw for three more TDs in a 32-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in the season finale at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The Jets’ defense also had one of, if not its best performance of the season, forcing four takeaways, all on consecutive drives to secure the fifth and final win in what has been a tumultuous season for the franchise still looking for their first playoff win in 14 seasons.
Now, owner Woody Johnson has a short amount of time to find his next head coach and general manager after firing both coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas at different points of the 2024 season.
Johnson and the Jets’ brass aren’t waiting around, as they’ve either interviewed, requested or plan to interview nearly 20 candidates already as they’re the only team in the NFL without a current head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive play caller, defensive coordinator and general manager under contract.
Furthermore, it’s also been reported that the Jets are not expected to interview Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, with the offensive guru reportedly interviewing with only the Bears and Patriots for now.
Here’s an updated list of who the Jets have already interviewed and plan to interview for their vacant head coach and general manager positions:
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Head coaches
Steve Spagnuolo
Another day, another head coaching interview request for the Jets.
This time it’s Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who’s been Kansas City’s DC for the last six seasons.
The four-time Super Bowl champion has been a head coach before, compiling a disappointing 11-41 record in the three seasons with the Rams from 2009-2011 and for four games as interim head coach for the Giants in 2017.
Darren Rizzi
The latest coach being request for the Jets’ head coach opening is a familiar face.
Darren Rizzi, the current interim Saints head coach, has been requested to interview by the organization.
Rizzi’s a Bergen Catholic alum and a native of Hillsdale, N.J.
He took over for New Orleans after the franchise fired head coach Dennis Allen following a Week 9 loss against the Panthers.
Rizzi has coached from the college level to the pros over the last 30 years, including a stop at Rutgers University as their special teams coordinator from 2002-07 before making his debut as a assistant special teams coach with the Dolphins in 2009.
Mike Vrabel
Along side Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the premier head coaching candidate is Vrabel, who is back in the coaching carousel after spending last season as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Browns once he was surprisingly fired by the Titans despite leading the organization to the playoffs three times and an AFC Championship game appearance during the 2019 season.
He is the hot commodity and could potentially return to New England, where he played for eight seasons after the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo on Sunday afternoon.
There are already reports out there that Vrabel’s interview with the Jets last Friday was to put pressure on Patriots owner Robert Kraft to make a move if they wanted him to be their next head coach.
Time will tell, but the Jets might be looking in a different direction if that’s the case, and Vrabel returns to Foxboro as the organization’s new HC.
Rex Ryan
One of the upcoming, highly anticipated scheduled interviews is none other than Ryan, who led the franchise to their most recent postseason berth and win with back-to-back AFC title game appearances in 2009 and 2010.
Despite being out of the league for eight years and a pundit on ESPNs ‘Get Up’ morning show and others, the 62-year-old Oklahoma native said he loved his chances of being back on the sidelines as head coach for the Jets.
“100 percent, absolutely I do,” Ryan said Monday morning when asked if he’s confident about returning as HC. “The reason I think I’m going to get it is because I’m the best guy. It ain’t close. The thing you have to do is connect with a football team, your fan base and the way they play. That’s the most important thing. Not just the X’s and O’s and all that.”
He went on to further state in the interview that he’s a better candidate for this job than the aforementioned Johnson.
Ryan, who’s been outspoken about his displeasure of QB Aaron Rodgers, will interview with the Jets’ brass on Tuesday.
Ron Rivera
The first coach interviewed in the Jets’ head coaching process was Rivera, who was brought in one day before Vrabel last Thurday.
Riverboat Ron has 13 years of head coaching experience in the NFL, compiling a 102-103-2 record during his time with the Panthers and Commanders, most notably leading Carolina to a Super Bowl 50 appearance in 2015.
Arthur Smith
Another former head coach interviewing for the job is Smith. Currently the offensive coordinator for the Steelers, he previously was the HC for the Falcons, where he finished 7-10 in three consecutive seasons before being let go and joining Pittsburgh’s staff as the OC last offseason.
Woody Johnson is familiar with Smith, as he interviewed twice for the Jets last head coach opening in 2021 before he was hired by the Falcons and the Jets tabbed Robert Saleh as their HC.
Brian Flores
After posting a 24-25 record in three years in Miami as the Dolphins head coach, Flores has shined the past two seasons as Vikings defensive coordinator.
Minnesota’s been one of the best defensive units since the Brooklyn, New York native took over the role prior to the 2023 season.
Aaron Glenn
Another name that will be well sought after is Glenn, who has completely turn around the Lions defense in their run to a 15-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year.
Glenn also notably has ties to the organization, as he was drafted in the first round by the Jets in 1994, where he spent eight years and was a two-time Pro Bowler as a member of the organization in his 15-year career in the NFL.
Matt Nagy
Currently the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs the past two years, spent four seasons as a head coach of the Bears, where he went .500 or better in each of his first three years before being let go after a 6-11 record in 2021.
Bobby Slowik
A hot commodity this time last year, the demand for his services has cooled a bit after a down year after a sophomore slump for QB C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense in 2024.
In what’s been a theme throughout this story, Slowik has ties to the area, a Princeton, N.J. native and his dad, Bob Slowik, spent 10 years in the NFL as a defensive coordinator with the Bears, Browns, Packers and Broncos.
Vance Joseph
Joseph brings tons of experience to the table, serving six years as a defensive coordinator (Dolphins, Cardinals and Broncos) and two as a head coach in Denver.
After being fired from the Broncos as a head coach following a 11-21 record in 2018, he’s gone back to the Mile High City and reinvigorated a Denver defense that has completely turn it around in 2024, led by Patrick Surtain II, who’s the betting favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year.
Joe Brady
Not as polished as the other candidates, Brady has been an offensive coordinator for four seasons, two with the Panthers before joining the Bills prior to the 2023 season.
Since his arrival, the 35-year-old play caller has been at the forefront of a Buffalo offense that finished with the second highest scoring offense (30.9 PPG) in the NFL in 2024.
Josh McCown
McCown is the current QB coach of the Vikings and started coaching the year prior as the quarterbacks coach with the Panthers.
Notably, McCown was under center in the NFL as a QB for 17 seasons and nine different organizations, including the Jets for two years as their starter in 2017.
Brian Griese
Another former QB scheduled to interview is Griese, who has been the QBs coach for the 49ers the previous two seasons.
Despite having limited coaching experience, Griese spent 11 years with four different franchises (Broncos, Buccaneers, Bears and Dolphins), most notably winning the Super Bowl as a player as John Elway’s backup in his rookie season in 1998 and made the Pro Bowl in 2000 as the Broncos’ starting QB.
General managers
Chris Spielman
Spielman, a former four-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro with the Lions, has been with the Detroit as a special assistant to President/CEO Rod Wood and Chairperson in 2021 and played a vital role in bringing in both head coach Dan Campbell and general Brad Holmes, turning the franchise from 3-13-1 his first season to the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season at 15-2.
Brian Gaine
Gaine has been the assistant general manager with the Bills for the past three seasons. He joined the organization as a senior personnel advisor in 2019.
He marks another coach or executive that has ties to the area, as he was born in Pearl River, N.Y. and graduated from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J.
Gaine also has familiarity with the Jets, as he was a member of the practice squad with the team in 1996 and a scout for Gang Green not long after from 1999-2004 before heading to the Cowboys as an assistant of pro scouting in 2005.
Jon-Eric Sullivan
Another front office member expected to interview for the Jets’ vacant GM job is Packers’ vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Sullivan’s been apart of the staff in Green Bay for two decades, starting as an intern during 2003 training camp and working all the way up to his current role he’s been in since July 2022.
Mike Borgonzi
Arguably the top general manager candidate in the cycle is Borgonzi, the current assistant GM for the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Borgonzi has been with Kansas City for nearly two decades and is the right hand man to general manager Brett Veach.
He also was notably with Vrabel in KC for two years.
Alec Halaby
Halaby has spent the last 17 seasons with Eagles and has been the assistant general manager for the last three seasons.
Prior to the AGM role, Halaby spent the prior six seasons as the vice president of football operations for the organization.
Louis Riddick
The first one to be interviewed for the Jets’ vacant GM spot, was Riddick, as the team reported last week.
Riddick, who played six years in the NFL, had front office roles as a personnel executive with the Commanders (2001-07) and Eagles (2009-2013) before joining ESPN shortly after his tenure with Philadelphia ended.
While he hasn’t been in the league since, Riddick’s name always come up when team’s are looking for a general manager, as the former defensive back interviewed with the Giants for their opening GM role ahead of the 2018 season before the franchise hired Dave Gettleman.
Mike Greenberg
Greenberg is the current assistant general manager for the Buccaneers and is the noted ‘cap guru’ for Tampa Bay. He’s in his 15th season with the team and was the vice president of football administration before being promoted to AGM.
Ray Farmer
Farmer, a White Plains, New York native, spent two years as Browns general manager in 2014 and 2015 but was fired after the team regressed from 7-9 to 3-13 in his final season in Cleveland.
Trey Brown
The Jets GM search continues to grow, as they’re requesting an interview for the Bengals senior personnel executive.
Brown has been with Cincinnati since 2021 and spent time with the Eagles and Patriots earlier in his career.
Ryan Grigson
Grigson is in his third years as a senior vice president of player personnel for the Vikings. Before joining Minnesota’s staff in 2016, he was the general manager of the Colts from 2012-2016, where he finished with an impressive 49-31 record, winning 11 games in each of his first three seasons and never had a year under .500 in Indianapolis.
