When coordinators finally get a shot at a head coaching gig, they can sometimes be overeager to accept the first opportunity that comes their way. Justified or not, the wrong job could crater an up-and-coming coordinator’s head coaching career before it even begins.
Several teams are pursuing Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn. Let’s examine the top landing spots for Glenn.
Best Landing Spots for Aaron Glenn
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears just hired a defensive head coach, and it didn’t work out. Typically, when teams try one thing and it doesn’t work, the next hire goes in the opposite direction.
There were games where the Bears got torched defensively, but the defense wasn’t the issue. The Bears owned the second-best red zone defense in the league in 2024 (46% TD rate when opponents reached the red zone, NFL average: 57.6%), fueling a second straight season of growth on this side of the ball per our Defense+ metric:
2022: 56.3 (F, the fourth worst mark in our six-year database)
2023: 76.2 (C, 21st for the season)
2024: 77.6 (C+, 13th for the season)
Glenn could take an already promising defense to the next level. In 2020 (before Glenn took over), the Lions allowed 2.95 points allowed per drive. Since then…
2021: 2.52
2022: 2.28
2023: 2.03
2024: 1.91
The concern with Glenn would be the offense. He would need to hire the right OC and build the right staff to help Caleb Williams realize his potential. If the Bears can’t figure things out offensively, in the modern NFL, they won’t be able to compete.
Jacksonville Jaguars
As a defensive coach, Glenn could approach potential opportunities in two ways. He could look for a better team on the offensive side of the ball, trusting his abilities to turn a mediocre or worse defense into an imposing unit. Or, he could gravitate toward what he knows and trust the rest of his staff to figure out the offensive side of things. Thev Jacksonville Jaguars job would be the latter.
Although the Jaguars struggled defensively in 2024, it wasn’t due to a lack of talent. The Jaguars blitzed at the lowest rate in 2024 (14%), entrusting a highly paid defensive line led by Josh Allen-Hines, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead to produce. However, the Jaguars ranked 28th in sacks (34) and 27th in pressure rate (29.4%). Even if you look at dropbacks without a blitz, the Jaguars ranked 28th in non-blitz pressure rate (27.3%).
Perhaps these players aren’t as good as their contracts suggest. The more probable scenario is that they need a coach who can better maximize their abilities.
New York Jets
If we’re talking about the most likely landing spots, the New York Jets would have to be at the top of this list. That doesn’t mean Glenn will necessarily end up in New York. However, his ties to the team as a former player and one of their all-time greats make a reunion quite logical.
For multiple seasons, the Jets have underperformed relative to expectations and the talent on their roster.
Quarterback is a major question mark. Aaron Rodgers’ first full season with the Jets was a flop. Rodgers recorded a 72.6 (C-) grade per PFN’s QB+ metric, ranking 22nd among qualifying passers. That included his lowest yards per attempt (6.7) and EPA per play (-0.08) as a starter in his career. He is currently undecided on whether he will continue playing.
The strength of this team was supposed to be its defense. Perhaps there is no better example of the power of good coaching than how this unit performed before and after firing Robert Saleh.
The Jets were a top-five unit in PFN’s Defense+ metric the prior two seasons but fell to 15th in 2024. New York ranked 22nd in EPA per dropback (-0.09) after being second in that category from 2022-23 combined (0.10).
Perhaps the Jets don’t want to go from hiring one defensive coach to another. The Jets are one of five franchises to never rank in the top half of the league in PFN’s Offense+ metric since the metric began in 2019 (Giants, Bears, Panthers, Steelers). As much as the defense struggled in 2024, it wasn’t the main problem, and hasn’t been for quite some time.
Glenn would be tasked with restoring this defense to its elite status while hiring the right offensive minds to at least put an above-average unit on the field.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a fascinating landing spot for any potential head coach, especially Glenn. He has connections to the team, having spent five years as their defensive backs coach.
There’s talent here. Derek Carr will never be an elite quarterback, but he’s often unfairly criticized as if he’s not a competent NFL starter. Carr finished 2024 ranked 11th in our season-long QB+ grading system, his fourth top-12 finish in the six years we have charted. For reference, his grade this past season was just ahead of Sam Darnold and Jordan Love.
By the end of the season, New Orleans had a zombie squad on the field on offense. However, that was due to injuries, not lack of talent. When healthy, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Alvin Kamara, and Taysom Hill are a nice group of offensive weapons.
Given that the defense needs more work than the offense, Glenn could be a good fit. Of course, there’s still the matter of the Saints having just failed going with a defensive head coach.
