Cornerback Brandon Stephens was the New York Jets’ most polarizing free-agent addition this offseason. While his season-opening performance hardly reflected the value of his three-year, $36 million deal, head coach Aaron Glenn went to bat for his guy—who suffered through a tough Week 1 outing.

Speaking to reporters Monday, a day after the Jets’ heartbreaking 34-32 season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Glenn defended Stephens’ rough performance and praised his coverage work throughout the summer, per the official New York Jets Communication transcripts.

Aaron Glenn on Brandon Stephens: “Brandon has been doing a really good job in coverage throughout training camp. What we have to work on with him is finishing and locating the ball. As the season progresses I believe he’ll be able to make those plays.”

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) September 8, 2025

“Brandon has been doing a really good job in coverage throughout training camp,” Glenn told reporters via a Zoom call. “What we have to work on—with him—is finishing and locating the ball. As the season progresses, I believe he’ll be able to make those plays.”

At 27 years old, Stephens brings four years of experience from Baltimore, where the Ravens drafted him in the third round in 2021. He broke into the league as a safety before sliding over to cornerback in 2022, a switch that eventually earned him a regular spot in the secondary.

He became a full-time starter in 2023, appearing in 16 games and finishing with two interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and an opposing passer rating of 82.4, per Pro Football Focus.

The momentum stalled last season.

Across 17 starts, Stephens failed to record an interception, managed 10 pass breakups, and was charged with giving up 806 receiving yards, the second-highest total among NFL cornerbacks, along with four scores. Quarterbacks also posted a 107.4 rating when throwing in his direction.

Stephens’ on-ball skills and ability to turn his head around in time have been significant issues throughout his career, and those woes clearly carried into Gang Green’s season opener.

If Brandon Stephens can’t clean up his ball skills, the New York Jets may watch their most polarizing offseason signing turn into a season-long liability in the secondary.