The New York Jets have hired Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. He has signed a five-year deal as the team looks to embark on a new era.
The former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator played eight seasons for the Jets after being drafted in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He now has a big task on his hands of leading a team that is coming off arguably the most disappointing season in franchise history.
Bill Parcells Is Excited About Aaron Glenn
Former Jets head coach and two-time Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells is excited about the franchise’s decision to hire Glenn. The new Jets head coach played three seasons under Parcells, so the latter knows what Glenn brings to the table.
“I know he’s [Glenn] done an awful lot of diligent work to prepare himself to be a pro coach,” said Parcells, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “He worked hard over the years. He started in scouting, which is a very good place to start, and learned about personnel acquisition, prototypes, and things like that. He knows all that.”
Before he was their head coach, Aaron Glenn was making plays in the @nyjets' secondary 😤 @NFLLegacy pic.twitter.com/Jy2S1TjU90
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2025
Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator for the last four seasons and impressed everyone with his work under Dan Campbell. The Jets have brought him in an effort to change the culture around the organization, as the team has constantly underperformed despite having talented players.
Glenn’s last season with the Lions didn’t go according to plan, as the alarming number of injuries on the defensive side of the ball finally took its toll in the NFC Championship Game. Detroit lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders, so the Jets got their new head coach much sooner than they expected.
The Jets are still looking for a new general manager, and Glenn is expected to have a major input on who the franchise hires. New York has the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the new head coach will have to make some big decisions related to the roster pretty quickly.
Jets Still Have To Make a Decision on Aaron Rodgers
One of the biggest challenges for Glenn in New York is to decide what to do with Aaron Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP still has a year left on his contract and has often expressed his desire to play next season whether he stays on the Jets or not.
Rodgers has mentioned that for him to continue with the Jets, he needs to be on the same page with the new head coach and the general manager. As a result, the AFC East team has to hire a new general manager quickly to decide on Rodgers’ future with the team.
It will be ideal for Glenn to start over with a young quarterback, but since the upcoming QB draft class is thin, the team is in a challenging position.
Various reports suggested a rift between Garrett Wilson and Rodgers, which could force the franchise to part ways with the quarterback.
If Rodgers leaves, it’s pretty likely that Davante Adams would also want a fresh start. How might the Jets reimagine their offense minus Rodgers and Adams?
Glenn could start his first season as the team’s head coach with Tyrod Taylor and Jordan Travis as the quarterbacks. The Jets drafted Travis last year, but he missed his entire rookie season due to an injury.
