Report: New York Jets met with Duce Staley after letting go of RBs coach Taylor Embree

The New York Jets are shaking up their coaching staff after a frustrating 2023 season. Head coach Robert Saleh is returning, but not all of his assistants are. That includes running backs coach Taylor Embree, who was recently let go.

Now, it’s been reported by Josina Anderson that Saleh and the Jets met with Duce Staley in regards to the open running backs coach position.

According to Anderson, Duce Staley went to the New York Jets’ team facility. He also had dinner in the area with Robert Saleh. In 2023, Staley was the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers. However, he was fired alongside head coach Frank Reich during the middle of the season by Carolina.

Interestingly, Staley has also recently met with the Cleveland Browns. So, he should have options this offseason.

If New York does hire Duce Staley, the Jets will be getting an assistant coach with more than a decade of experience in the NFL. After playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers during his playing career, Staley joined the Philadelphia coaching staff in 2011. He held multiple roles there through the 2020 season, including running backs coach. Since then, he’s continued to be an assistant head coach and running backs coach.

New York is looking to replace Taylor Embree, who has been the team’s running backs coach since 2021. It was his first stint working as a running backs coach and during that time, working to develop running back Breece Hall. Prior to coming to New York, Embree had been a quality control coach in San Francisco, working with Robert Saleh. However, issues running the ball in 2023 led to the Jets struggling overall on offense during the season.

Aaron Rodgers voted by teammates as New York Jets’ most inspirational player

Aaron Rodgers came to the New York Jets hoping to bring the team to the top of the AFC East and the playoffs. For a moment, it seemed like he would do that. Then, early in the first game of the season, he tore his Achilles and missed the rest of the season.

Despite that, Rodgers was still voted by his New York teammates as the Jets’ most inspirational player.

Even though Rodgers was not able to get on the field for New York after his initial injury, he did try to. He publicly shared his recovery progress and his goal to return to the field in 2023, until he ultimately wasn’t able to get back on the field. Even in that failed effort, his teammates clearly found something inspirational about his season.