The NY Jets have made it clear that they aren’t looking to make any significant changes to their coaching staff this offseason. Robert Saleh and even team owner Woody Johnson have publicly insisted that essentially the entire staff will be back in 2024.
That doesn’t mean the Jets won’t be making any changes, however. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported on Monday that the Jets plan to interview and make an offer to veteran running backs coach Duce Staley.
The Cleveland Browns have already met with Staley, who was fired by the Carolina Panthers in November alongside former head coach Frank Reich and Jets legend Josh McCown.
The Jets still list current running backs coach Taylor Embree on their team website, but it’s obvious the team is looking to upgrade. This would be a pretty notable change to an otherwise dismal and stagnant offensive coaching staff.
Duce Staley would be an excellent addition to the NY Jets coaching staff
A former third-round pick, Staley spent 10 years in the NFL as a running back between 1997 and 2006. His first coaching opportunity came in 2011 when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ staff as their special teams quality control coach.
He’s wear many hats during his time in Philadelphia, serving as the team’s running backs coach from 2013-2020 and their assistant head coach from 2018-2020. He was widely seen as one of the fastest-rising assistant coaches in the NFL.
Staley left to join the Detroit Lions in 2021 as Dan Campbell’s new assistant head coach and running backs coach before once again leaving in 2023 to join Reich in Carolina. Unfortunately, that move appears to have been a misstep for his career.
Staley is a well-respected offensive coach who would provide a massive upgrade to a Jets’ offensive staff that is among the least experienced and successful in the NFL. Hiring him won’t be easy, however.
The Browns likely offer more job stability under Kevin Stefanski than the Jets could with Robert Saleh. Cleveland notably prevented the Jets from hiring famed offensive line coach Bill Callahan last offseason after he agreed to an extension with the Browns.
Staley would likely want to be Saleh’s assistant head coach in New York, which might not be a position the Jets are willing to offer. That said, Staley did cross paths with Joe Douglas in Philadelphia, so the two do have some history.
If the Jets aren’t going to make any meaningful changes to their offensive staff (Nathaniel Hackett, Keith Carter, etc.), this is probably their next-best option. Duce Staley would be a fantastic addition to the Jets’ coaching staff.
