Al Iannazzone: Fixing Jets' offense would be Frank Reich's biggest comeback yet
Jets offensive Frank Reich on the sidelines as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers on Sep. 24, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. Credit: Getty Images/Steph Chambers
The challenge of helping turn around the Jets and jumpstarting one of the NFL’s worst offenses brought Frank Reich back to the NFL. The Jets hope the old quarterback has one more great comeback left in him.
Reich is entering his first season as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. He spent the last two years at Stanford, as an interim head coach and then an advisor. Reich said that experience “re-energized me.”
He told his wife he would return to coaching if it was the right situation. Reich said he received calls but “nothing moved the needle” until he heard from Aaron Glenn, his former teammate with the Jets. Glenn laid out what he was looking for and offered Reich the chance to fix the offense. Reich found the right situation.
“I knew right away this was something I wanted to do,” Reich said via Zoom on Wednesday. “Mainly because of [Glenn], but also because of the challenge and the opportunity to be a part of a staff and be part of a team, an organization, that has an opportunity to do something special and turn something around.
“At this point, I love that idea. I'm excited about that, and I feel like I got something to offer and contribute to helping that happen.”
Reich’s NFL career has spanned more than 30 years, as a player, intern, position coach, offensive coordinator and head coach. He was fired from his last two jobs in-season – as head coach of the Colts in 2022 and Panthers in 2023.
Few coaches who experienced that would want to jump back into a position that isn’t that attractive on paper or on the field. Not to mention, this could be a short-term gig for anyone on staff if the Jets struggle again.
The Jets ranked 29th in total offense and scoring and last in passing yards in 2025. Their quarterback situation was unsettled when Reich took the job. Justin Fields was on his way out and was eventually replaced by Geno Smith, another old Jets quarterback out to prove he has a good comeback in him.
Reich, 64, wasn’t scared by any of this. He’s a unique person who doesn’t run from difficult conditions.
“I'm a little backwards, but that's actually what attracts me - how to figure it out,” Reich said. “Take what looks on the surface like a difficult situation and figure out how to get it done, knowing that it can get done.”
Reich’s ability to rise when things appear to be crumbling around him might make him the perfect man for this job. He engineered two remarkable and historic in-game turnarounds during his playing days.
In the 1984 Orange Bowl, Reich led Maryland back from a 31-0 halftime deficit against Miami. He threw six second-half touchdown passes to lift the Terrapins to the win.
Less than 10 years later, history repeated itself when the Bills trailed the Houston Oilers 35-3 at the half of an AFC wild-card playoff game. Reich orchestrated another improbable comeback, throwing four touchdown passes in the second half of a Bills’ victory.
Reich was undaunted both times and comes to the Jets with the same mentality.
“He's not shying away from it,” Duce Staley, who coached with Reich previously, told Newsday. “He's running to it.”
Reich believes the Jets have a solid offensive line, playmakers in running back Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson and a “very strong” tight end room. Reich said there’s “a lot to like” about the offensive roster.
He wouldn’t reveal much but the plan is to be good in the run game, “dynamic” in the passing game and “excellent” in situational football.
“The way to do that,” Reich said, “is to create problems that the defenses can't solve.”
Reich has full confidence that Smith “fits perfect” into his vision for the offense. Reich has been impressed by Smith’s “resilience” and “toughness.” Reich almost sounded as if he was talking about himself.
“I always think the No. 1 attribute in any quarterback, especially if you want to come and turn something around, is you need someone who's tough. I mean tough mentally, tough physically, and I feel that from Geno on every front.”
If Reich can turn around the Jets' offense, it might be his greatest comeback of all.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
