Why Jets Reportedly Missed Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard

The New York Jets had a long — and pretty confusing — search for their next defensive coordinator, but it came to an end on Wednesday.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that former Miami Dolphins pass game coordinator/secondary Brian Duker is coming to town to be the team's next defensive coordinator.

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"The Jets are hiring Brian Duker as their defensive coordinator, per sources," Pelissero wrote on X. "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."

The Jets made a decision

Nov 22, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale stands on the sidelines during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

If you have been following along with the Jets' search for their new defensive coordinator, this decision may seem out of left field. New York announced on Jan. 16 that the team interviewed eight candidates for the open job: Mathieu Araujo, Ephraim Banda, DeMarcus Covington, Daronte Jones, Jim Leonhard, Wink Martindale, Chris Harris and Jim O'Neil.

Martindale was viewed as the "favorite" for the job. Leonhard is another guy who got a lot of buzz on social media, but there wasn't a lot of concrete information after the reported interview.

Duker wasn't a part of that initial crew that interviewed for the job and Martindale specifically seemed to have the inside track to the job. So, what happened? SNY's Connor Hughes broke it down and pointed to head coach Aaron Glenn wanting to call plays on defense as a reason why things didn't work with Martindale or progress with Leonhard.

"Aaron Glenn began telling candidates recently that he wanted to call plays defensively," Hughes wrote. "This was different from original plans and discussions, having spoken to sources close to those who interviewed for the Jets DC job. That’s among the reasons things fell through with Wink Martindale, and why Jim Leonard was never an option.

"Glenn is now expected to call plays for New York with Brian Duker as DC, something he stressed he wasn’t interested in at various points last year."

It's been a bit of a surprising process, but the search is now over, at least. The Jets have their new defensive coordinator in Duker and it sounds like Glenn is going to be the team's defensive play caller.

More NFL: What Jets’ Brian Duker DC Hiring Really Means