Aaron Glenn already appears to be abandoning his Jets vision

When the New York Jets hired Aaron Glenn as head coach a year ago, they sold fans on the idea of a CEO-style coach who could transform the rotten culture that had infiltrated the walls of One Jets Drive for the better part of the past 15 years.

Glenn said so himself. He was brought in to be a culture-changer, a head coach who would oversee every aspect of the organization rather than tie himself to one side of the ball.

The first-year head coach reiterated that long-term plan throughout the season. He pleaded with fans to believe in his vision and to not "let go of the rope,” figuratively speaking, insisting that “big ships turn slowly” as the Jets struggled and asking for patience while his plan took shape.

Then, in the span of just two weeks, Glenn’s entire vision — the plan he spent the past year asking fans to buy into — appears to have been flipped on its head.

The Jets’ coaching moves this offseason suggest that Glenn has already abandoned his original blueprint, leaving fans with little clarity — or confidence — in what the plan actually is at this point.

Jets fans have lost patience and confidence in Aaron Glenn's plan

As reports have confirmed, Glenn initially told many coaches, including offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, that their jobs were likely safe following the conclusion of the 2025 season.

The Jets spent literal months speaking with longtime NFL assistant Wink Martindale about their vacant defensive coordinator position, and the team's in-person meeting with him this past Saturday was perceived as more of a formality than anything. Martindale believed the job was his, according to SNY's Connor Hughes.

But after weeks of deliberation, Glenn appears to have had a change of heart last Thursday, when several members of the staff were informed they would not be retained. Shortly after, Engstrand was told that he would likely be stripped of his play-calling responsibilities.

Martindale was then informed of the Jets' new direction that would involve Glenn calling defensive plays, which prompted the team to essentially restart its defensive coordinator search, eventually landing on Miami Dolphins assistant Brian Duker on Wednesday.

With Glenn set to take on a larger role on the defensive side of the ball, the organization began searching for an experienced offensive assistant who could serve as a de facto “head coach of the offense.” That led to Engstrand’s abrupt exit and an offensive coordinator search that is widely expected to end with Frank Reich joining the staff.

The end result is a completely different organizational outlook and a near-total reversal of the philosophy Glenn preached for the past calendar year. The “plan” he spent 365 days asking fans to believe in no longer seems to exist, and the rope he urged them to hold on to has been quietly swapped out for a much shorter one.

How could any fan buy into Glenn's vision when that vision abruptly changed seemingly overnight? There is, however, an important caveat to all of this, which is the ever-present shadow of Woody Johnson.

Johnson has a long track record of stepping in and meddling when things start to go south, and it’s entirely possible that Glenn didn’t want to abandon his original plan, take on play-calling duties, or reshuffle his offensive staff, but that he was pushed in that direction from above.

While Jets reporters have downplayed that possibility, it can never be fully ruled out, especially given Johnson’s history of intervention, including when he forced Robert Saleh to move on from Mike LaFleur just a few years ago.

If this pivot was owner-driven, it fits a familiar pattern, but if it was Glenn’s decision, then the concerns here are valid.

Either way, whether this strategy ultimately works or not, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Glenn abandoned the very vision he asked fans to trust far sooner than anyone expected, and that alone raises serious questions about what the Jets are actually building in Florham Park.