According to a report from SNY’s Connor Hughes, New York Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand is expected to be stripped of his play-calling duties in 2026, and Gang Green is expected to add a veteran play-caller to their staff.

While fans brainstorm options for New York to explore to replace Engstrand as the offensive play-caller, Hughes added that longtime NFL coach Frank Reich is among the names “linked” to the Jets as they search for a veteran play-caller to add to their staff. There have yet to be any reports of a scheduled interview, however.

Whether New York’s interest in Reich is legitimate or not, one thing is clear: Hiring Reich as their offensive play-caller would be a laughable decision by the Jets.

Why it would be comical for the Jets to hire Reich

If the Jets are going to replace Tanner Engstrand as the offensive play-caller, they had better choose someone who is a surefire upgrade.

Reich does not fit the bill.

Since jumping into the NFL’s coaching ranks in 2006, the former NFL quarterback has had two stints as an offensive coordinator at the professional level, with the San Diego Chargers from 2014-15 and the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-17. He also had a pair of head coaching stints with the Indianapolis Colts (2018-22) and Carolina Panthers (2023).

Reich’s background is rich with several stops, and he even helped the Nick Foles-led Eagles upset Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII (under Doug Pederson’s play-calling). However, that was nearly a decade ago, and the current mission is about who’s best equipped to handle the Jets’ offensive play-calling role in 2026.

After being out of football for a year, Reich became Stanford’s interim head coach in 2025, leading the Cardinal to a 4-8 record (their most wins since 2020). Currently, he is expected to return in 2026 as a senior advisor.

This is not the type of resume that warrants an NFL play-calling job in 2026.

Reich’s last NFL stint, as the Panthers’ head coach in 2023, unraveled miserably. After a 1-10 start, he was canned in-season, while the vast majority of his coaching staff went one-and-done.

This came one year after Reich was fired in-season as the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 2022, when the team was averaging 14.7 points per game under his coaching through nine games.

Reich’s last real success came in 2021 with Indianapolis, when the Colts finished 12th in offensive DVOA.

Since then, his two most recent NFL seasons ended with in-season firings. He has not been in the NFL since then.

Most importantly, there is little evidence to suggest that Reich is equipped to develop a young quarterback.

With the Panthers in 2023, No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had an atrocious rookie season under Reich’s watch. The former Heisman Trophy winner set an NFL record by averaging 4.1 net yards per pass attempt, the lowest single-season mark in NFL history for a quarterback with at least 500 pass attempts.

Engstrand is a young coordinator who showed promise in his first season despite limited talent on the roster. The Jets should not demote the ascending coach unless they can find a proven replacement, and Reich is far from that.

New York would be better served by adding a veteran voice to support Engstrand rather than stripping him of his play-calling duties altogether. Even in that role, Reich isn’t a fit. He has shown nothing in recent years that suggests he can successfully develop a rookie quarterback, which would make hiring him a questionable move at best for Gang Green.