Shortly after the Detroit Lions were eliminated from the 2024-25 NFL postseason, their defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn, chose to accept the New York Jets’ vacant head coaching job.
After helping pilot the historically moribund Lions to back-to-back postseason appearances — including an NFC Championship Game appearance last year and the No. 1 seed in the conference this season — Glenn is going to have his hands full trying to turn around another bottom-feeder in one of the league’s toughest markets.
Aaron Glenn Unwilling To Bend to NY Media’s Whims
Speaking to the media about the Jets’ uncertain quarterback situation, Glenn chose the path of tergiversation, opting to peddle coach speak instead of straightforward answers.
“If you’re going to continue to ask me the same question, I’m going to give you the same answer,” Glenn said in response to a reporter asking about quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future in New York.
“We’re still in evaluation mode. So for anybody else that was going to ask that, I’m going to give you the same answer. So don’t waste your time,” the head coach continued with a chuckle.
Aaron Glenn just handled this completely differently than Robert Saleh ever would. Respect. #Jets pic.twitter.com/Zd7Zf2OXny
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) January 27, 2025
When asked what he looks for in a quarterback, Glenn offered a concise response, saying, “A winner. Mental and physical toughness.”
Pushed by the media about whether he would take after his mentor, legendary coach Bill Parcells, Glenn gave a tried-and-true answer: “That’s Parcells. I’m Aaron Glenn.”
Throughout the video, it became clear that, while he’s interested in keeping things cordial with the media, Glenn isn’t going to be an open book. Given the New York media’s reputation in sports, perhaps that’s for the best.
Glenn started his NFL career as a cornerback with the Jets. After being selected No. 3 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft, he was with New York from 1994 to 2001 and became a three-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Jets’ All-Time Four Decade Team.
Now, he’s returning to the organization in hopes of ending their 14-season playoff drought.
Glenn was a defensive backs coach with the New Orleans Saints from 2016-20, but the Lions came knocking ahead of the 2021 season in desperate need of help. That season, their defense ranked either 31st or 32nd in red-zone efficiency, points per drive, turnover rate, and average opponent drive distance.
Detroit lost six of seven games to close that season and was outscored 252-150 in the process (no other team allowed more than 237 points over that stretch).
The Lions didn’t need help. At the end of that 5-11 campaign, they needed a culture rebrand, something the experienced Glenn brought and sustained during his time in the Motor City:
- 2020 (before Glenn took over): 2.95 points allowed per drive
- 2021: 2.52
- 2022: 2.28
- 2023: 2.03
- 2024: 1.91
Glenn, Jets Have a QB Problem
Of course, the Jets aren’t known for their defensive miscues (they finished third in total defense this season) but rather for their offensive ineptitude. Rodgers finished 21st in Pro Football Network’s quarterback rankings this year, earning a 72.2 grade, and the offense as a whole didn’t fare much better, finishing 19th with a 72.7 grade according to PFN’s Offense+ metric.
The organization needs a top-to-bottom reset on offense, starting at the quarterback position. However, armed with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s unlikely they’ll find an immediate starter in a relatively weak QB class.
Free agency doesn’t promise much better fortunes, which could signal a difficult year on the horizon for Glenn and the Jets in 2025. He may have figured out how to keep the media at bay, but New York’s new head coach will need to come up with a creative solution at QB if he hopes to turn around the Jets like he helped turn around the Lions.
