1 day agoThe New York Jets have requested head-coaching interviews with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Smith spent the 2024 season on Mike Tomlin's staff in Pittsburgh after being fired from his role as Atlanta Falcons head coach. The Steelers' offense wasn't perfect, but Smith deserves credit for getting plenty from quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, successfully navigating a two-headed backfield, and leading an offense that helped the team finish 10-7. Smith's final season in Atlanta was heavily criticized, but he seems to have earned significant favor throughout the NFL this season and is back to getting head-coaching interviews. The Jets and Smith are no strangers; the team interviewed him for its head-coaching vacancy a few years ago and had even set up a second interview before Smith put pen to paper with the Falcons and the Jets pivoted to Robert Saleh. Meanwhile, Slowik has never run an NFL team, but he came close. Just last offseason, he received numerous head-coaching interviews before opting to stay in Houston for another year. The Texans' offense may have taken a step back this season as quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled from time to time, but Slowik still found ways to maximize the unit's production with career years from both running back Joe Mixon and receiver Nico Collins. The Texans are now in the playoffs, and perhaps Slowik's second foray into head-coaching talks could result in him accepting a job this time around. Rounding out the latest batch of interview requests is Brady, who has enjoyed a very successful season-plus running the Bills' offense. Buffalo was dominant this season under MVP candidate Josh Allen, and it's nearly a given that Brady will become an NFL head coach someday. Of course, Smith, Slowik, and Brady aren't alone. The Jets have already secured interviews with three former head coaches in Ron Rivera, Rex Ryan, and Mike Vrabel. Four of the Jets' six known interviews are former NFL head coaches, so perhaps the Jets would prefer someone with previous experience at the helm of an NFL team. As teams continue to shake up their coaching staffs across the NFL, it might still be a while before the Jets settle on their top candidate.--Andersen Pickard - RotoBaller
Source: Ian Rapoport