The New York Jets are pulling pages—literally—from Detroit’s recent success story, and they’re not being subtle about it. With former Lions coaches Aaron Glenn and Tanner Engstrand now in green and white, it’s clear the Jets are hoping to end their painfully long 14-year playoff drought by borrowing some of the Motor City magic.
Familiar Faces, New Place
This week, while most of the NFL was grinding through mandatory minicamp, the Detroit Lions had the luxury of skipping the usual early summer grind. Thanks to their upcoming appearance in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game, they’ll be reporting to training camp earlier instead.
Meanwhile, in New York, former Detroit staffers Glenn and Engstrand were busy running their own camp with the Jets—and yes, it already looks a bit familiar.
The Jets wrapped up their three-day minicamp on Thursday with a very Lions-esque twist: offensive linemen running routes.
O-Linemen Running Routes? Lions Fans Know the Drill
If you’ve been following Detroit the past few years, this probably doesn’t raise an eyebrow. Under former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the Lions got creative with their offensive looks. From using linemen as decoys to making them real passing options, nothing was off the table.
Johnson has taken that flair to Chicago now, but Engstrand—his right-hand man in Detroit—is clearly continuing the tradition in New York.
This isn’t just about gadget plays, though. It’s a mindset. The Lions turned their franchise around by embracing bold, sometimes unorthodox football. And now, Glenn and Engstrand are looking to replicate that formula with a Jets team that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2009.
Building a Ground-and-Pound Identity
One thing that won’t be surprising: a strong emphasis on the run game.
With Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen in the backfield, and dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields under center, the Jets offense is expected to mirror Detroit’s physical, run-heavy identity. That foundation will help open up the play-action game—a hallmark of the Lions’ success.
There’s even more Detroit DNA in the locker room. Former Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds is slated for a big role alongside WR1 Garrett Wilson. It’s not just a coaching transplant—it’s a culture shift.
What’s Next?
Minicamp is over, and training camp is still a few weeks away, but Jets fans have every reason to be curious—and a little hopeful.
The Lions showed the league how quickly a team can rise from the basement to the brink of the Super Bowl. If Engstrand and Glenn can bring even a fraction of that formula to New York, maybe—just maybe—the Jets can finally break the drought and give their long-suffering fanbase something to cheer about come January.
After all, if offensive linemen are already catching passes in June, imagine what this offense could look like when the games actually count.