🔥 Aaron Glenn Hot Seat Meter Week 3: Improvement only matters if Jets start winning

Aaron Glenn deserves praise for how the New York Jets have started this season.

Before uttering another word, that statement is undeniable. The 2026 Jets are an improved team in nearly every way compared to last year. There is a legitimate argument to be made that the Jets could easily be undefeated three weeks in, having dropped two close games.

Statistically, the numbers prove the progress. Offensively, through three games, the Jets rank 13th in total offense. Up from their 29th ranking in the category last season.

Defensively, now under the new direction of Glenn, who took over playcalling this season. The unit that finished 2025 ranked 25th in total defense currently ranks second through three games, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion, Seattle Seahawks.

How fast should change happen?

The answer to this question will likely determine how you feel about Glenn.

For the sake of argument, we can split it into two schools of thought. The first is that change happens little by little, only through slow improvement of one thing at a time. The second is that change requires disruption and a "shake the tree" kind of intentionality.

As Glenn appears to be adopting the former of the two, let's assess the latter. Fortunately, this NFL season has already provided prime examples of it being deployed with other teams.

The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, coming off a league-worst record and the No. 1 overall pick last year. What's more, the person they selected with that #1 pick isn't even playing yet.

Klint Kubiak, in his first year, is proving that to change a pattern of behavior and results, you need to shake things up. Kubiak was named Raiders head coach on February 2, 2026. On February 15, he made Rob Leonard his new defensive coordinator.

The result? Through three games, the Raiders are the NFL's most shocking 3-0 team, in large part thanks to their defense, which leads the league in both turnovers forced and turnover margin created.

Similarly, and ironically, the Raiders' opponent in this week's matchup of surprising undefeateds, the same can be said about what Kellen Moore is doing in New Orleans.

Through three games, the Saints offense ranks third in passing yards. Not surprising, when you consider that their new coach sits third all-time on the FBS touchdown passes list from his time as Boise State's trigger man and lefty leader.

What these two examples are meant to illustrate is that identity is something that can be immediately injected into a team.

Though several other factors can play a role in how quickly that change results in winning, there is proof elsewhere in the league that a new coach's top priority (defense in Las Vegas, passing in New Orleans), can happen now.

So where is Glenn’s fingerprint on the Jets?

The former Jets cornerback, famous for snagging interceptions, the assumption would be that savvy defensive play and an attack mentality about forcing turnovers is the identity Glenn is best positioned to impart.

In his last season serving as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Glenn directed a unit that ranked sixth in interceptions, validating that theory.

Just a year later, however, in his first year in New York, the Jets' defense set an embarrassing record when they did not record a single interception all season -- a feat that had never been accomplished in modern NFL history.

Though still very early, the Jets' defense has yet to record an interception this season either (one of only four teams). So, to recap -- the Jets have never intercepted a pass under Glenn.

In fact, you can make the claim that they've not come close. So far this season, with the exception of second-year cornerback Azareye'h Thomas, who has two, no Jet defender has recorded more than a single pass defended.

For the coach who is fourth on the Jets' all-time interceptions list, this certainly seems like an apples-to-apples miss on implementing that particular priority.

What is the Jets' identity?

This word "identity" has been tossed around a lot with regard to the Jets. In the first game against Tennessee, sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala even said that Glenn told her he was building the team "in his image." So, my question is-- what exactly is that image?

While it's been addressed often, I've yet to hear any definition that isn't somehow rooted in comparison. Contrast this year's team with last year's, mostly. However, even last year, it felt like the Glenn era was being largely defined by all the ways it wouldn't be like Robert Saleh's.

The problem with an identity that is exclusively based on comparison is that it really isn't much of an identity at all. Anyone who's ever been referred to as 'X's brother or sister' knows the feeling.

The Jets are being praised for the start of this season, but almost solely because of how it compares to past failures. When weighed against smallpox, COVID seems like the common cold. Yet, we all remember the two-year feeling of the entire world shutting down.

The point is this-- the optimism around the Jets is justified. However, it is also a bit disheartening that this "amazing" start is a 1-2 record, with the lone victory coming against a team that remains winless.

Finally, perceptions matter

One moment from Sunday is seared into my brain, and it was when Glenn met with his former colleagues at midfield as the game was coming to an end.

While the moment is being praised for its wholesomeness online, the image of Glenn being elated while time was still technically on the game clock felt emblematic of an attitude that the pride of improvement sits above the need to actually win.

While understanding that the game was over in reality and Glenn's joy in seeing his former staff was clearly pure, it gave the impression that "close is good enough." At least for now.

Perhaps it's just me, but most true competitors that I know are not capable of stomaching a loss so quickly. Not to say there weren't reasons to be pleased, but I can't help but feel that had the same embrace been after a 56-0 result, the jubilation would have been less visible.

Especially because we all acknowledged the added weight of the Week 1 win with Glenn facing off against the Jets' previous coach, Saleh. I'd expect this loss to be even more painful for Glenn, assuming he'd have just a little bit of an added edge from wanting to best his predecessor.

Nitpicky? Maybe. Hypocritical for letting a history of disappointment creep into the analysis? Possibly.

In any case, I sure wish Glenn had displayed a bit more frustration after losing another game that was within reach and saved the energetic reunion with his Lions cohort for a dinner later that evening.

True leaders hate to lose more than they love to win. For anyone who's seen The Last Dance documentary about the Chicago Bulls dynasty, I cite Michael Jordan and urge you to consider whether that coin-flipping lunatic would have been as content as Glenn appeared to be in the immediacy of a loss.

I hope this was simply an instance of an exception and not a window into the competitive fire that lives inside Glenn. More importantly, I hope the fanbase reaction to the loss doesn’t reflect a bar of expectation that has officially dropped below actually winning games.

For as much as it hurt falling short of Rex Ryan's Super Bowl guarantees, there's something to be said about the mentality a coach displays towards winning and the urgency they attach to it.

Personal feelings aside, the context of the game likely helped Glenn despite the loss. After all, it is a court of public opinion, and the jury appears to be praising the Jets' valiant effort.

Current Heat: 7.0 ⚠️

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