A future NFL head coach in the making?
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton emphatically told Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic that he predicts that New York Jets special teams coordinator Chris Banjo "is going to be a head coach."
Banjo, 36, has only been an NFL coordinator for one season. He didn't even start coaching until 2023. Despite his short time in the pros as a coach, Banjo has already made a strong impression.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic put together an article highlighting the top assistant coaches who could break out in 2026.
Banjo was the Jets' representative on the list.
"Zack Rosenblatt, who attested to Banjo's ability entering the young coordinator's second season on the job. 'In one year,' added Rosenblatt, 'Banjo pulled off the difficult feat of being the only Jets coach with a universal approval rating from players and fans.' By the way, the Jets had the No. 1 special teams EPA in the 2025 regular season, per TruMedia," Rodrigue wrote.
Banjo started his football journey as a player. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
During his 10 years in the NFL, he played for four different teams. He started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013 but only spent three months there. Banjo spent four years with the Green Bay Packers . Next, he spent three years with the New Orleans Saints . Finally, he spent the final four years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals .
Banjo appeared in 131 games and made seven starts. For the majority of his career, he cut his teeth as a special teams player (2,474 snaps). However, he did have moments where he got snaps on the defensive side of the ball (948 snaps).
In February of 2023, Banjo announced his retirement from playing. The same month that he retired, it was announced that he was hired by the Broncos to make his immediate transition to the coaching ranks.
Banjo had an outstanding year. It was enough to keep his job. Head coach Aaron Glenn changed out two of his three coordinators.
It was a surprising year for Banjo. He received sterling recommendations from Payton and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Westhoff to get the Jets' job in the first place.
Now he has to deliver an encore. The majority of his special teams unit that broke records last season is set to return. With the lone exception being one of the most critical pieces to the puzzle, in placekicker Nick Folk .
The Jets have already been on an uncomfortable game of musical chairs this offseason, with multiple kickers being shuffled in and out. If there is a silver lining to this story, it's how Folk returned to the Jets this past offseason.
They didn't even add him to the roster until days into training camp. Perhaps the Jets don't even have their starting kicker on the roster right now. Time is of the essence with training camp days away.
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