On Sunday, the Jets interviewed a candidate who helped the Commanders pull off a major upset on Saturday night.
Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. spoke to the Jets about their coaching vacancy. He is the 16th person to interview for the job since Robert Saleh was fired in October.
After firing Joe Douglas last November, the Jets are also seeking a new general manager. On Jan. 11, they interviewed Commander assistant general manager Lance Newmark for the role. Interviewing Whitt makes sense because if they hire Newmark, the Jets could have continuity from the front office to the playing field.
Whitt, 46, is in his first season as the Commanders’ defensive coordinator. He has been an assistant in the NFL since 2007 and has worked in various roles with the Falcons, Packers, and Browns. Before becoming the Commanders’ defensive coordinator, Whitt was the Cowboys’ pass game coordinator/secondary for three seasons (2021-23). During that time, Dallas led the NFL in interceptions.
Dan Quinn hired Whitt after he hired him as Commanders coach last year. Quinn also came from Dallas, where he was the team’s defensive coordinator for three seasons.
Whitt’s defense was instrumental to the Commanders’ success during the 2024 season. A year after the Commanders were dead last in both categories, they ranked 13th in yards (327.9) and 18th in points allowed (23.0).
That helped Washington to a 12-5 record and a sixth-seed in the NFC a year after they were one of the worst teams in the league in 2023, following a 4-13 record.
“Everybody plays together,” Whitt said in an article recently published by Tyler Dunne on GoLong. “And that’s what I’m most proud of with this unit. We run. We play hard. We hit. We’re a good tackling team. We’re a good tackling team because we’re connected to each other and you’ll see.”
The Commanders upset the Buccaneers 23-20 in the NFC wild-card game. On Saturday night, they defeated the No. 1 seed Lions 45-31 to advance to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1991.
Not only does Whitt understand football’s Xs and Os, but he also knows how to communicate with his players.
“[Whitt is] good at explaining things, and if we don’t get it, he’s just going to throw it out,” Washington edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. told the Washington Post. “He’s not going to make it rocket science.”
The Jets have had an extensive search for their next coach following a disappointing 5-12 season.
In November, Jets owner Woody Johnson hired The 33rd Team, led by ex-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, to identify candidates and coordinate interviews.
Ron Rivera, Mike Vrabel, Rex Ryan, Matt Nagy, Aaron Glenn, Mike Locksley, Steve Spagnuolo, Darren Rizzi, Jeff Ulbrich, Vance Joseph, Arthur Smith, Bobby Slowik, Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, and Josh McCown have all been interviewed for the Jets coaching position. Vrabel was hired as the Patriots’ coach on Jan. 12.
The Falcons hired Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator on Jan. 18.