NY Jets news: Mike LaFleur hired, Jets might lose coach, Joe Klecko honored

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Mike LaFleur / Rich Schultz/GettyImages

Former NY Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has wasted little time finding a new job as he was officially hired as the new offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams on Friday in what very well could be a promotion for the young assistant coach.

LaFleur was reportedly a hot commodity on the coaching market after he was let go by the Jets earlier this month. Rams head coach Sean McVay immediately identified LaFleur as his top target, and a few weeks later, he helped finalize the deal.

Meanwhile, the Jets replaced LaFleur with the well-traveled Nathaniel Hackett in a move that they hope will help improve an offense that ranked among the worst in football in each of the last two seasons.

As for LaFleur, it's hard to have imagined a better landing spot, and given recent history, it wouldn't be surprising to see him receive head coach opportunities in the near future. That's just what happens with McVay assistants.

Other NY Jets news

Jets might lose an assistant coach

Many hoped that the Jets would be able to convince former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich to consider the team's offensive coordinator job. Instead, Reich might actually be poaching a coach from the organization.

The newly hired head coach of the Carolina Panthers is reportedly eyeing Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel for their vacant defensive coordinator position, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Manuel has spent each of the last two seasons as the team's safeties coach after stints in Atlanta and Philadelphia, the former of which he served as a defensive coordinator under Dan Quinn.

Joe Klecko honored with an award

Jets legend Joe Klecko hopes to finally reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a couple of weeks, but on Friday, he was awarded a different honor.

Klecko was named the winner of the 18th Maxwell Football Club Legends Award, an award given to a winner for "their memorable contributions to the game of football."

Klecko was already named one of the three senior finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023. If Klecko receives 80 percent of the votes, which is reportedly a "formality" at this stage, he will be elected.

For now, Klecko at least has this award to hang his hat on. A new honor should be coming very soon.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.