Jets can't yet offer Dan Quinn job

The New York Jets were prepared to fly to Seattle immediately after Saturday night's game if the Seattle Seahawks had lost to try to hire Dan Quinn as their head coach, according to sources.

Quinn, the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, can't be offered a job until Seattle's postseason run is over, per NFL rules. The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers31-17to advance to next Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The Jets' interest in Quinn is one of the reasons the team kept their likely new general manager, Houston Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan, in town for a third consecutive day to huddle with team officials, sources told ESPN.com's Rich Cimini.

A deal is expected to be finalized and could be announced as soon as Monday. In deference to the weekend's playoff games, the Jets refrained from announcing the hire. Maccagnan is one of seven candidates to interview for the position, but he's the only one who was invited back for a second round of meetings.

Maccagnan then remained in town for a third consecutive day to huddle with team officials, sources told ESPN.com's Rich Cimini. A deal is expected to be finalized and could be announced as soon as Monday. In deference to the weekend's playoff games, the Jets refrained from announcing the hire. Maccagnan is one of seven candidates to interview for the position, but he's the only one who was invited back for a second round of meetings.

Maccagnan would have gone with the Jets' contingent to Seattle to try to reel in Quinn, who also is drawing interest from the Chicago Bears, among other teams.

Quinn likely will receive multiple offers, a source told Cimini, so it's premature to say he's a lock for the Jets. However, he has strong ties to New Jersey. He grew up in Morristown, a few miles from the Jets' facility, and has family in the area. He was a Jets assistant in 2007 and 2008.

The Jets fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik following their 4-12 season. Ryan is finalizing a five-year deal to become the coach of the Buffalo Bills.