NY Jets considering horrid HC hire that would set franchise back years

Even when it seems obvious to everyone that the NY Jets need to nail it with their next coaching hire, they remain stuck in their ways as they try to once again outsmart the room with their choice of candidates.

It seems like the Jets are prioritizing coaches who have past experience over new coordinators who will be first-time hires, but that directive is taking them to some very strange places. This includes bringing in a coach who has become radioactive after failing so loudly in the last few years of his career.

Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders (among other names) coach Ron Rivera has been out of a job since he was fired at the end of the 2023 campaign. Despite his sharp decline in quality as a coach, the Jets remain undeterred in their pursuit of him.

The Jets are scheduled to interview Rivera for their vacant head coaching job. Rivera may be considered a longshot for this job, but the fact he is even in the running doesn't speak to the quality and depth of their overall search.

NY Jets interviewing Ron Rivera for HC job is a mistake

First, the good, Rivera has made it to a Super Bowl, and he has appeared in the playoffs five times, winning three games in that span. Cam Newton may have carried him to many of those wins, but he certainly had a role in developing the former MVP quarterback in Carolina. He took a Washington team that had no business winning a division to the playoffs.

Now, the bad. Rivera is the definition of mediocre, going 102-103-2 as a coach. He has never had back-to-back winning seasons in the pros, and his lack of offensive knowledge was exposed when he didn't have the X-factor of Newton there to erase mistakes.

In both Carolina and Washington, Rivera had a heavy hand in the draft room. He had mixed results in Carolina, and Washington was one of the worst drafting teams in the league over the last few years. The Jets can't let him anywhere near their boards in April.

Rivera would be a solid hire as a position coach or assistant head coach, as he has a wealth of football knowledge and could help remove the old cursed culture as he did with the Panthers. However, as has been proven with Washington, the game may have passed him by slightly if he's in charge of everything. Look elsewhere, Jets.

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