It was evident from the very first answer at 1 Jets Drive during Tuesday’s end-of-year press conference: A new pecking order of importance has been pushed.

Since they were first introduced together last January, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey had seemingly followed one major directive: They would both report to owner Woody Johnson, but this was Glenn’s show.

After an abysmal first season that saw the team go 3-14 and become one of the worst rosters in the entire league, the shift of importance has become more balanced. Gone were the days when Glenn would proudly pound his chest, discussing what he wanted his team to look like.

Tuesday was more about the leaders of this young regime explaining what went wrong. And in those answers, a new power structure has emerged.

Jets’ organizational structure shift

Mougey and Glenn have spoken about “collaborating” together from the very beginning. Every major decision about the roster was agreed to between the leaders of the organization.

In 2025, though, Glenn was clearly driving the bus. He consistently talked about the roster being his and coaching decisions coming down to his preference.

Now, though, collaboration is being pushed. It’s a sign that Mougey’s hands are more on the wheel than ever before.

The clearest example came when Glenn discussed his next defensive coordinator. Normally, New York’s coach would be the driver in any potential coaching search, as he’ll rely on him to fix the Jets’ troubled defense.

Instead, Glenn touted collaboration with Mougey regarding the role.

“Moug will be a huge part of that because I do respect his opinion and he has a good eye just for talent in general,” Glenn said. “I want to make sure that it’s collaborative between all of us, and we just want to get the best guy.”

Few general managers are usually involved in the assistant coach hiring process. Head coaches are normally the ones driving decisions like this. Organizations like Philadelphia, Dallas, and Washington are all examples of having controlling GMs for better or worse.

The common denominator of all those teams?

The general manager is the driving force of the operation, not the head coach. Glenn’s admission that Mougey will be part of the hiring process for assistants suggests that the man who was once seen as his second-in-command may now be in control.

Why that works for Jets

The Jets may have been Glenn’s team last season, but Mougey did a good job with the resources allocated to build talent on an otherwise bad roster. The team added quality talent in the NFL draft, including seventh overall pick Armand Membou and tight end Mason Taylor.

Shrewd trades for Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs, and Jarvis Brownlee paid dividends, as did the pickup of Isaiah Williams. Even the sell-offs of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were celebrated as excellent trade compensation.

Mougey was not perfect in 2025. The Justin Fields contract didn’t work out, and the late-round draft picks didn’t instill much confidence. Furthermore, there are now more holes on the roster than there were when Mougey came in.

But by and large, Mougey has looked every bit the part of a quality general manager with the Jets, and he has plenty of resources to improve the roster drastically in 2026.

“I believe we can be competitive and respectable right away, next year,” Mougey said Tuesday. “With the assets we have moving forward, the draft capital, the cap space, I know we’re going to continue to build and add good players to the team that are going to help us win.”

New York will look a lot different next season from a roster perspective. They will also look different from a leadership standpoint.

This is no longer Aaron Glenn’s team. This is Darren Mougey’s. That much was apparent on Tuesday.

Reporting from the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ.