The next phase of the Aaron Glenn makeover of the Jets begins Tuesday when the players report to Florham Park for training camp, then head to the practice field Wednesday.
Since Glenn was hired in January, he has revamped the organization. Aaron Rodgers is out. Justin Fields is in. There are new faces in the locker room, on the coaching staff and among the support staff in the building.
Glenn is trying to end a run of losing that has spanned multiple staffs and many rebuilds. The playoff drought is at 14 years. The team has had nine straight losing seasons. The losing has permeated every inch of the franchise, and now Glenn is trying to perform an organizational exorcism.
“We want to create our own narrative,” Glenn said. “We want to write our own book. That’s what the focus will be going into training camp is, how do we rip the pages out of some situations that we don’t like and make sure we start writing the narrative of how we’re going to operate throughout the season and throughout training camp. So, when it’s all said and done, this is going to be a book that a lot of people would like to read.”
So far, it’s been a compelling read.
Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey have been hitting the right notes this offseason. They moved on quickly from Rodgers, ending one of the most disappointing chapters in Jets history. They did not overspend in free agency but brought in Fields to be the team’s new quarterback, a move that has little risk and plenty of upside. They drafted Armand Membou in the first round to play right tackle and solidify an offensive line that has the potential to be a good one.
Last week, they signed stars Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner to contract extensions through 2030, continuing the offseason of good vibes.
Things amp up this week with training camp, then the real test begins Sept. 8 when Rodgers returns to MetLife Stadium to open the season with the Steelers.
The Jets are coming off a disappointing 5-12 season that saw Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas get fired midseason. The bad feelings of 2024 have been washed away, though, and it is the time for happy talk around the NFL. The Jets are no exception.
“We’ve got as good a chance as any other team in the league,” Wilson said. “That’s how it starts. Everyone starts with a blank slate. No one cares what you did last year. It’s our job to kind of make right on it, and I’m excited for that.”
Though Wilson may be overstating things about how good the Jets’ chances are, there is reason to hope. They have a strong core of players with Wilson, Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald, Breece Hall, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Olu Fashanu leading the way.
There is no doubt that they underachieved last year, going 3-7 in one-score games. The 2024 team had an uncanny ability to find ways to lose close games in the fourth quarter.
It is on Glenn to change that.
There has been plenty of talk this offseason about a culture change, but that won’t truly be known until the games begin.
“The mindset is right,” Wilson said. “The guys that we brought in, the staff as well — everyone’s aligned. I think they did that very intentionally. Now, it’s our job as players to go out there and bring that culture to life, find what our identity is on the field.”
The players have raved about Glenn’s ability to communicate with them. He made it a point of getting to know his players. Several players this spring referenced long conversations with Glenn in which he outlined goals and expectations for them.
“Straightforward. Honest,” linebacker Quincy Williams said of the coach. “What I’m talking about is, we don’t wait until we get to the meeting room. It’s honest and straightforward on the field, so you can get it corrected right then.”
The makeover that began in the winter and continued in the spring accelerates this week in the heat of the summer. Gang Glenn is taking shape.
