Give Jets’ head coach Aaron Glenn credit.
Glenn keeps reiterating that he constantly evaluates players, coaches, and himself. And there’s evidence that he does.
The questions will linger whether Glenn can make all the right calls.
Monday morning, Glenn sent defensive coordinator Steve Wilks packing after a lackluster – being kind here – effort that allowed Jacksonville to score 48 points Sunday.
Granted, the Jets’ defense had some moments Sunday, but they looked disinterested and nonfocused for the majority of the game.
It was the proverbial final straw for Wilks’ unit that has allowed 28.4 points per game, only ahead of Dallas and Cincinnati.
The Jets did lose Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner , and Michael Carter II via trades, and presumed standouts Quincy Williams and Jermaine Johnson have underachieved. Their secondary suffered major blows with the losses of Jarvis Brownlee, Isaiah Oliver, and Azaeye’h Thomas. Andre Cisco was also lost for the year, but he might be considered a free-agent bust.
This is the unit that doesn’t have an interception and just two takeaways. Think about that for a moment.
Wilks was reportedly consistently criticized by his players for his schemes. He was expected to be fired at the end of the season. Why he was hired is the unanswered question, as Wilkes had one-year stays in his last seven stops, being jettisoned by the 49ers after the 2024 season.
Tuesday, Glenn gave wide receiver Allen Lazard his walking papers. Lazard was former quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ buddy, but never lived up to his Packers’ days. Lazard did take a pay cut of nearly eight million from his four-year, $44 million deal he inked in 2023, but he has been fazed out the past two years. He caught 10 passes for 70 yards with a touchdown this season.
By all accounts, though, Lazard doesn’t fit in the team’s long-range plans with the rise of John Metchie III, Adonai Mitchell, and vet Garrett Wilson. Besides he severs the last link with Rodgers, whose Glenn didn’t want to continue.
Earlier this season, Glenn parted ways with return specialist Xaiver Gipson after his fumble likely cost the game against Pittsburgh in the opener. Turning the return game over to Isaiah Williams truly has been a positive with two returns for a score, and he was robbed of a third on an iffy call in Jacksonville.
With three games left, don’t expect a major turnaround with the Jets’ defense with interim coordinator Chris Harris in charge.
The Jets don’t have an easy late-season sledding ahead with a game in New Orleans Sunday followed by a home game in New England and a trip to Buffalo. New Orleans was once believed as a very winnable game, but the Saints have been marching lately.
Glenn has three more games to keep his hands on this Jets’ blueprint. His club did respond by winning three games in a four-week span without a legitimate starting quarterback. His defense, seen as his expertise as an ex-coordinator, has played hard in spurts and has been shuffled, but often hasn’t played with a full deck.
It will be interesting to see what moves Glenn makes over the final chapter. It’s becoming apparent that he is slowly piecing together his foundation. One move he may consider is hiring ex-Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who has been freed from his Michigan deal after the head coach debacle there.
A real litmus test will be the draft where Glenn and GM Darren Mougey can firm the foundation with their two first-round and second-round picks in April, and three first-round picks in 2027 via trades.
At the end of the year, Glenn needs to evaluate himself. He will be back next season, and he needs to fill the holes.
In his first season, Glenn has had his share of miscues, and he is still learning on the job.
So far, Glenn hasn’t been afraid to pull the trigger, and give him the benefit of the doubt with the above-mentioned three moves.
However, we will keep seeing the results of evaluations.
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