Frank Reich proving he’s no NFL dinosaur as Jets offense takes shape

Frank Reich’s first NFL pass was thrown during a game in which Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko had sacks and Wesley Walker caught a 96-yard touchdown pass from Ken O’Brien. 

So, yes, Reich has 40 years of NFL knowledge, but that doesn’t mean the Jets offense he is coordinating will be pulled from 1985. Or even from 2023, when he last called plays as head coach of the Panthers.

“I think he’s a guy that’s always adapting,” right guard Joe Tippmann said. “He’s not just watching film from the 2000s. He is up to date, doing studies on recent years, studies on trends in the league, where he thinks the league’s going to go. You sit in a meeting and I just get excited about where he’s going to take us as an offense.”

Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich works with Garrett Wilson on a drill during the team’s practice on July 30, 2026. AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Some of Reich’s creativity has been on display during the first two practices of camp, finding nontraditional ways to feed the ball to playmakers. 

The Jets hired Reich to inject life into an offense that ranked bottom four in the NFL in scoring in three of the last four seasons after his one-year stint as Stanford’s interim head coach — a favor to Stanford football general manager Andrew Luck — last season. He and Glenn were former Jets teammates.

“We’ve always just talked football and just hearing what his philosophy is, I would think, ‘I feel the same way,’ ” Glenn said. “It’s been good. I’m glad he’s here.”

Jets offfensive coordinator Frank Reich talks to the media before practice at minicamp in Florham Park, N.J. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

The Jets expressed interest in CB Terrion Arnold, who was cut by the Lions in June after he was arrested and charged with felony armed robbery and kidnapping. Glenn was the Lions defensive coordinator when Arnold was a 2024 first-round pick.

Glenn compared it to when the Jets brought in free agent quarterback Russell Wilson to visit and offered him a contract as a backup quarterback — before Wilson retired.

“We’re always looking at guys that we feel like could help us,” Glenn said. “We do our due diligence and that doesn’t mean that we’re going to bring everybody in. The thing is, we’re just going to turn over every stone to make sure, ‘Is this a guy that can help us with everything that’s going on?’ Which we don’t know.” 

A fire alarm sounded in the Jets building during DT Jowon Briggs’ press conference.

Only moments earlier, Briggs talked about having a “fire underneath your belly.”

“Not being complacent,” said Briggs, who was traded from the Browns to the Jets last August. “Continuing to work so you can prove that you have a spot with the club you are at. That’s really big for me.”

The Jets are off Friday — after just two practices — and again Sunday before getting into pads Monday for the first time.

Why the unusual schedule?

Glenn said he maximizes practice reps at 24 in the first week of camp, followed by a decrease and recovery. Then an increase to a max of 32 in the second week followed by a decrease and recovery. And then up to a max of 40 in the third week followed by … you guessed it … a decrease and recovery. 

“What I’m trying to do is get our guys to be ready to play 65-75 plays a game,” said Glenn, who showed it to the players in bar graph form, “and that’s my job.”