New York Jets fans who wanted to see head coach Aaron Glenn release one of the team’s most controversial players will be very disappointed on Monday morning.
After Sunday’s 30-10 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, Jets fans have been looking for the team to make roster moves as they did following the team’s Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that loss, New York released punt returner Xavier Gipson for fumbling twice in the contest.
Fans want the same for edge rusher Micheal Clemons.
The edge rusher struggled mightily throughout Sunday’s loss to Buffalo, including a roughing the passer penalty that gifted the Bills a free first down on a third and 19 stop.
Glenn has remained steadfast despite the push: Micheal Clemons is going nowhere.
Glenn, Jets defend Micheal Clemons
The numbers do not lie. Since arriving on the team as a fourth-round pick from the 2022 Draft, Clemons has committed nine personal foul penalties. During that same time, he has recorded just 7.5 sacks.
Having an undisciplined player be penalized more than the basic form of production required is never a good sign. But for a coach like Glenn, he believes there is more to Clemons’ game than most fans see.
“Mike has done a really good job from training camp going to the season, of understanding exactly what we’re trying to do,” Glenn said during availability on Monday. “It’s so hard for a defensive lineman to make sure they don’t go in and try to finish the tackle on the quarterback because of the rules. But that’s not an excuse at all.
“We know what it is, especially with that player.”
Whether fans want Clemons gone or not, there is an underlying reason why the Jets continue to push the veteran edge rusher on the field. During their loss to the Bills, former first-round defensive end Jermaine Johnson suffered an ankle injury.
He did not return to the game, and there was no update from Glenn the following day.
If Johnson can’t go, the Jets have an obvious hole at edge rusher going into Week 3. If New York cut Clemons, their starting edge rusher room would consist of Will McDonald and former UDFAs Eric Watts and Braiden McGregor.
This is certainly not a group that would strike fear into opposing quarterbacks’ hearts.
Whether fans are happy or not, it seems like Micheal Clemons is here to stay at this point with the Jets. The question will be whether the organization can finally get some production to match the “aggressiveness” Aaron Glenn likes to see.