Jets Hire Another Former Steelers Staffer as New Tight Ends Coach

The Jets added another ex-Mike Tomlin assistant to their revamped coaching staff.

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the field prior to the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Jets were expected to make some changes after a disastrous 3-14 season. And despite a lengthy delay, the shakeup finally came at the end of January. Aaron Glenn cleaned house, ultimately moving on from both coordinators and multiple assistant coaches. 

Following the purge, Glenn and the Jets began rebuilding the staff. Frank Reich was hired as offensive coordinator and Brian Duker will oversee the defense – although Glenn will call defensive plays. New York also landed longtime Mike Tomlin assistant Karl Dunbar as defensive line coach. 

Now New York will add another Pittsburgh Steelers staffer to the group. The Jets are hiring veteran tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts, per NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz. He’ll oversee the development of 2025 second-round pick Mason Taylor and newly extended TE Jeremy Ruckert.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Jets land former Mike Tomlin assistant Alfredo Roberts 

Roberts spent five seasons as the Steelers’ tight ends coach. Now he'll take over the role in New York following Jeff Blasko's departure for the Cleveland Browns. With the exception of a three-year stint as running backs coach with the Los Angeles Chargers, Roberts has been a tight ends coach since 2003. 

The veteran assistant brings 19 seasons of experience to the role. And he’s been coaching in the NFL for 22 of the last 23 years. Before beginning his career as a coach, Roberts spent six seasons in the league, playing tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. 

Glenn has emphasized experience in his coaching hires so far this offseason. Reich, Dunbar and Roberts have been on NFL sidelines for a combined 58 years. It appeared he would continue in that vein by hiring veteran defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. But Glenn’s last minute decision to take over playcalling duties lead him to the less seasoned Duker.

The revamped coaching staff could go a long way toward changing the team’s culture. While it didn’t necessarily come as a surprise, DT Harrison Phillips described the Jets as ‘cancerous’ and claimed that Glenn inherited a toxic culture in New York. 

The team still has several coaching positions to fill, including quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. But the 2026 staff will essentially be entirely of Glenn’s choosing. And he’ll have plenty of experienced veterans to lean on next season. 

More NFL: Ranking 8 Veteran Starting Quarterback Options for the Jets in 2026