Jets fire DC Steve Wilks in one of their worst defensive seasons - ESPN

Mired in one of the worst defensive seasons in franchise history, the New York Jets fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Monday, ending his tenure after only 14 games.

Coach Aaron Glenn, in his first staff shake-up, named defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris the interim coordinator. Harris will call the plays for the final three games, with the defensive-minded Glenn assisting him during the week in game-planning.

«Listen, I just thought that from last week going to this week, the improvement wasn't there and I thought it was time to make a change,» Glenn said on a Zoom call with reporters.

«I'm going to make the decision that's best for this organization at all times, and it's my job to make sure I continue to evaluate everything that's going on,» he continued. «That's my job as the head coach, and I just thought this was the time for me to make that decision.»

The move comes one day after a 48-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who scored on eight of their first nine possessions. The Jets (3-11) have allowed 82 points in the past two games, the highest back-to-back total since 2021.

The Jets, a top-four defense (yards allowed) in each season from 2022 through 2024, have underachieved this season. They're 30th in scoring, 20th in yards allowed and 28th in EPA (expected points added).

The most damning statistic: The defense has only two takeaways and no interceptions. On Sunday, the Jets tied the 2024 San Francisco 49ers for the longest streak in NFL history without an interception: 14 games.

Just last week, Glenn said he believed in Wilks, and he indicated after Sunday's game that he had no plans to strip Wilks of his playcalling duties. As it turned out, he went one step further,