Jets quietly make defensive coordinator hire as Aaron Glenn reshapes staff originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The last calendar year for the New York Jets has not gone well. Since Aaron Glenn was hired, the Jets have struggled mightily. While their team building hasn't been bad, as Darren Mougey's vision makes sense for a rebuilding team, the product is still not great.
Glenn, in his first year, fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators, along with several other staff changes. Amid the changing coaching staff, Glenn's first hire is on the defensive side of the ball, and specifically, bringing in a new DC for the 2026 season.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Jets are hiring former Miami Dolphins pass game coordinator Brian Duker as their new defensive coordinator. Glenn has made his first big decision of the offseason.
Jets make DC hire amid major coaching turnover
"The Jets are hiring Brian Duker as their defensive coordinator, per sources," Pelissero reports. "Duker, 36, most recently was the Dolphins' pass game coordinator/secondary. He's close with Aaron Glenn from their days with the Lions and now reunites with him in New York."
Duker isn't the most famous name the Jets were interviewing, as Wink Martindale was a very popular and likely candidate this offseason.
But, with Glenn changing his plan to call plays defensively, Martindale and other defensive coordinator options weren't as likely to be hired.
Duker won't call plays, but with his previous connection to Glenn from their days with the Detroit Lions, he should help create strong synergy defensively next year.
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During his two-years with the Dolphins, as Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared, Duker's defense was ranked 19th against the pass, 22nd in interception rate, 23rd in sack rate, and 20th in pressure rate.
It wasn't a great defense by any means, but after how much the Jets' defense struggled in 2025, with zero interceptions all-year, Duker can be a massive plus for the Jets if his defense gets just one interception next season.
His defense in Miami was far from ideal, and while the Jets unit isn't exactly star-studded after the trades of Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, it's a work in progress that could become a solid unit next year with the right additions this offseason.
Duker is joining Glenn's staff as his first big hire this offseason. After a huge chunk of the coaching staff was fired after one year, Glenn is hoping Duker will be much better than Steve Wilks was in 2025 for the Jets.
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