New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn doesn’t have an overwhelming number of true believers; a 3-14 debut season will create that reality.
But as the former Pro Bowl cornerback prepares for his second season at the helm of the Jets franchise, he plans on learning from many mistakes made last year.
“Speaking on myself, man, [there are] a number of things that I know I will be better at,” Glenn stated at his end-of-season press conference.
To the coach’s credit, many current players have come out of the woodwork to defend his leadership ability. From Harrison Phillips to Garrett Wilson to others on the roster, the team still believes in Glenn’s vision
The Jets have to actually go out and do it, though, and that remains a clear question mark heading into 2026 — even if players from some of Glenn’s previous stops think that the time is coming for Gang Green.
The right man for the job
Speaking as a guest on the Schultz Report with Fanatics’ Jordan Schultz, former Detroit Lion and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone quickly defended Glenn as both a leader and football coach.
“They have a leader of men,” Anzalone said. “They have a guy who is serious about football and truly cares about his players, and he’s the guy [who] can get it done.”
I asked Bucs LB Alex Anzalone about his former coach Aaron Glenn and why Jets’ fans should be optimistic:
“They have a leader of men. They have a guy who is serious about football and truly cares about his players. And he’s the guy that can get it done.” ✈️ https://t.co/aebJtdRsaT pic.twitter.com/zPh9BTkRly
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 9, 2026
It was a bit of a surprise when the Jets did not sign Anzalone to a free agent contract this offseason. After missing out on most former Lions players, the expectation was that New York would target several former players who could establish the culture Glenn envisions.
Instead of taking players from Detroit, though, Gang Green chose a different stop for their head coach: New Orleans.
Linebacker Demario Davis and defensive tackle David Onyemata are two former Saints who were on the team when Glenn was just a positional coach. They saw him work as hard as anyone to earn a coordinator job in Detroit, and later a head coaching role in New York.
Anzalone was seen as a key cog in what made the Lions a respectable defense under Glenn. While the Jets opted to allow him to sign elsewhere, Anzalone’s comments toward his former coach should not be ignored.
From current to former players, all Gang Green has seen over the last year — within the National Football League — is respect for their head coach.
If the wins come, New York Jets fans would hop aboard that fast-moving respect train. Until that happens, though, fans will have a tough time hopping off the fence about their once-great Pro Bowl cornerback.