After spending training camp as a coaching intern, Hines Ward has been hired by the Jets as an offensive assistant, head coach Adam Gase announced on Monday.
"I think that's going to be a great addition for us," Gase said. "He's done a lot of really good things with that group, helping out with those guys."
"I think it was the right time for him. I know he's excited about the opportunity."
"He's a great resource because he's done it at a high level consistently," Robby Anderson told Jets.com. "He's a future Hall of Famer so what more can I ask for? I'm picking his brain, and he's more so telling me than I'm asking him, and I'm just staying on top of him. He's just trying to find ways to get me better in each way."
Ward won two Super Bowls as a member of the Steelers, playing his entire 15-year career in Pittsburgh. He is the franchise leader in receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083) and touchdown catches (85).
Since retirement, he's worked hard to break into coaching, serving as a coaching intern for Steelers before joining the now-defunct Alliance of American Football as a player relations executive. His job with the Jets will be his first as a full-time member of a coaching staff.
