Two days after the surprise firing of head coach Robert Saleh, the New York Jets continue to make some changes on their coaching staff, primarily on the offensive side of the football.
Interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday that offensive assistant Todd Downing will take over the play-calling duties for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, starting Monday night against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.
Downing is currently the quarterbacks coach and the passing game coordinator while Hackett still holds the role of offensive coordinator. However, Downing will now call plays during games. It’s unclear what Hackett’s game-day role will be for the Jets moving forward ahead of the primetime matchup against the Bills and then the Week 7 game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football.
Downing previously was the offensive coordinator for the then-Oakland Raiders in 2017 and the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2021 and 2022. He took over in Tennessee after current Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith left the Titans to become the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach ahead of the 2021 season.
The move isn’t surprising for the Jets. Reports surfaced Tuesday after Saleh’s firing that he was thinking about making a change in play from Hackett to Downing after the Jets’ offense got off to a poor start in the 2024 season.
Entering Week 6, the Jets rank 27th in yards per game (286.6), 19th in passing yards per game (206.2), 32nd in rushing yards per game (80.4) and 25th in points per game (18.6) — just one spot ahead of the Steelers.
The Jets have also turned the ball over six times with four interceptions and two fumbles offensively, playing a key role in the poor start with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and big investments along the offensive line and at wide receiver.
Hackett has a close relationship with Rodgers, so it will be interesting to see how that dynamic between quarterback and play-caller with Rodgers and Downing plays out moving forward. The Jets are in serious turmoil, and they’re pushing as many buttons as possible to try and fix things and get an all-in season on track.
