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Head coach Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets speaks with officials during the fourth quarter in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Not many people were surprised when New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn decided to fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Monday.
Wilks’ defense had struggled all year long in his first year with New York, even before the Jets traded away defensive cornerstones Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner.
The defense currently ranks 28th in the league according to Sumer Sports’ EPA/play, and needed a change. Interim DC Chris Harris will have three games to flip the script.
But is there another assistant coach on Glenn’s staff that shouldn’t feel too safe come season’s end?
Jet X Factor’s Connor Long thinks so, and singled out quarterbacks coach Charles London as a candidate to be fired.
Connor Long Urges Jets to Fire Charles London
After all the offensive and quarterback woes the New York Jets have faced this season, Long pointed to London as the main culprit.
“London entered coaching through the running backs room and spent the majority of his career there before transitioning to quarterbacks in 2021 at age 46. That shift never produced consistent results,” wrote Long.
“During his time in Atlanta (2021-22), the Falcons’ offense stagnated, and Desmond Ridder failed to make meaningful strides over two seasons. The same pattern followed in Tennessee in 2023, where Will Levis endured a rough rookie campaign.
“London later joined Seattle in 2024 as part of Mike Macdonald’s inaugural staff, working with Geno Smith. Under London, the veteran quarterback regressed. Smith threw 15 interceptions, his most in a season with the Seahawks, and dropped to a 50.4 QBR after exceeding 60 in his first two seasons as Seattle’s starter.”
What’s glaringly obvious is London’s inability to instill positive traits and develop a quarterback.
The Jets are likely to have a young quarterback on the roster in the next year or two, and having London as his primary sounding board seems like a recipe for disaster.
“In today’s NFL, quarterbacks rarely succeed by simply ‘figuring it out’ on their own. The teams that get it right have clear, tangible development plans, facilitated by coaches with track records of sustained success,” continued Long.
“That applies not only to the head coach and offensive coordinator, but also to the quarterbacks coach.”
Why Charles London and Not Tanner Engstrand?
The obvious question to ask is, why would London catch all the heat and not offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand?
Well, the New York Jets’ first-year offensive coordinator has put together a decent offense considering what he’s worked with at the quarterback position.
Their pass game has left a lot to be desired, of course, but that can be chalked up to mediocre quarterback play.
Despite that, the Jets boast the seventh-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 128.5 yards per game on the ground.
It’s wildly impressive, considering teams know New York struggles to move the ball through the air and is selling out to stop the run.
Engstrand has certainly earned the chance to develop a young quarterback, and the Jets cannot afford to mess that prospect up.
It may be Glenn and Engstrand’s only chance in their respective roles, and they can’t be on London’s abilities.
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