The Aaron Glenn era in New York is now official.
It has been reported via numerous outlets that the longtime Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator has accepted the role as Head Coach of the New York Jets.
Glenn’s path to the Jets has come full circle. He played for New York from 1994-01 — being drafted by the franchise in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Later, he was a personnel scout for the Jets before ultimately getting into coaching.
Recently with the Lions, Detroit played a style of smashmouth football under his guidance. Glenn helped in fixing what was a dilapidated unit and turning them into one of the more potent groups in football.
Glenn reportedly had been pining for the Jets job. It makes sense based on the familiarity he holds with the franchise. Having said that, New York has missed the playoffs a whopping 14-straight years. It marks the longest playoff drought in the NFL.
The Jets also currently are without a General Manager — an added wrinkle somewhat complicating things. Normally, you’d want the GM and HC to be on the same page when entering a new era.
Having said all of that, there’s some real optimism with Glenn coming in. He knows the franchise exceptionally well, is a fan favorite, and has a defensive mindset which should pair well with the existing talent on the defensive side of the ball in particular.
The interesting thing moving forward will involve what the Jets do with Aaron Rodgers and the QB position. New York has the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft, and there are a couple of signal-callers (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders) that could make sense for them if available.
