Report: Lions great Chris Spielman to interview for NY Jets general manager position
Chris Spielman, a former Detroit Lion, during round two of the 2015 tournament, May 1, 2015. The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL is hosting the NFL Draft. (Image courtesy of Rich Graessle/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
FOX 2.The names of Lions employees have been making the rounds in NFL coaching search articles lately, but it looks like a front-office contender has also surfaced.
Chris Spielman, a former Lion and current special assistant to the president/CEO, may be considered for the position of general manager of the New York Jets. The Jets, who finished 5-12 this season, are scheduled to interview Spielman.
Anthony Rothman, host of an Ohio sports radio station, is the source of the allegation that ESPN NFL reporter Adam Shefter shared on social media. Rothman shared it on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. Rothman works at 97.1 The Fan in Columbus.
“Legendary Buckeye Chris Spielman will interview for the @nyjets GM job sources tell me,” Rothman wrote on Twitter. “‘Spiels’ current exec asst to Detroit ownership has single handedly changed culture of the Lions by impacting the hiring of GM Brad Holmes & HC Dan Campbell. @971RandI.”
If accurate, it would be the most recent Lions employee to attract interest from rival teams. Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, both offensive and defensive coordinators, have been floated as potential head coaches in the media.
With an all-time high of 15-2 and their second consecutive NFC North Division win, the Lions have secured the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
PONTIAC, MI – DECEMBER 17: On December 17, 1994, in Pontiac, Michigan, linebacker Chris Spielman #54 of the Detroit Lions gestures to the sideline during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Vikings were beaten 41-1 by the Lions.
Given that Glenn was a former first-round pick, a standout player for the Jets from 1994 to 2001, and a scout for the team in 2012–2013, some on social media have conjectured that he would be able to join the Jets’ plans.
An icon for the Lions franchise, Spielman was a standout player at Ohio State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was selected in the second round in 1988 and played in Detroit until 1995 before joining the front office.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 31: Following halftime of the Detroit Lions’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field on October 31, 2021, Chris Spielman, a former Detroit Lions player, participates in the Pride of the Lions celebration. (Image courtesy of Rey Del
He is a member of the Pride of the Lions Club, which recognizes the best players in franchise history.