Aaron Glenn’s latest Justin Fields defense is his most embarrassing yet

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has gone to extreme lengths to defend his quarterback, Justin Fields, over the last couple of weeks. That defense reached a fever point following Fields' disastrous performance in the Jets' Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos a week ago.

Fields put together one of the most inept performances by a Jets quarterback in recent memory and single-handedly lost his team the game. Despite this, Glenn not only stood by his quarterback after the game, but he mocked the sheer thought that a QB chance could be considered.

Glenn's handling of his press conferences over the last week has been nothing short of malpractice, and it didn't get much better when he spoke to reporters on Friday.

When asked about Fields' league-worst average time to throw, Glenn dismissed any concern, likening his quarterback to the likes of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, who similarly have high average times to throw.

Aaron Glenn compares Justin Fields to Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in his latest defense

Glenn insisted that Fields’ long release time isn’t inherently a bad thing, arguing that it’s simply part of his play style. He pointed out that quarterbacks like Allen and Jackson make plays precisely because they extend them, not in spite of it.

In Glenn’s eyes, Fields’ ability to hold onto the ball and create off-script is what makes him dangerous — not what holds him back. He went on to explain that many of Fields’ best throws come when he’s improvising or escaping pressure, and that it’s unfair to expect him to play like a traditional pocket passer.

Glenn even suggested that the criticism surrounding Fields’ mechanics and processing has been overblown, hinting that outside narratives don’t account for the design of New York’s offense.

While Glenn is making somewhat of a point, it’s ultimately a ridiculous comparison. Yes, Jackson and Allen also take longer to throw, but they use that extra time to make game-changing plays.

They extend drives, find receivers downfield, and turn broken plays into touchdowns. Fields, on the other hand, is using that time to take sacks.

In Week 6 alone, Fields was pressured 17 times and was sacked on nine of them. That’s a 53 percent pressure-to-sack rate, an absurd number that would easily be the worst in the NFL over a full season.

Even more alarming, he held the ball for an average of 3.95 seconds on those nine sacks. That’s not playmaking — that’s quarterback paralysis. The difference between Fields and the quarterbacks Glenn compared him to is that they make defenses pay for giving them time. Fields just gives it right back.

Ultimately, this would probably be written off as harmless coach-speak if the Jets weren’t 0-6 and Glenn hadn’t spent the last week digging himself a ditch of disastrous press conference answers. Now, it just feels like another desperate attempt to defend the indefensible.

At some point, the excuses have to stop. Either Fields needs to play better, or Glenn has to make a change. If not, he risks losing the support of not just the media and fans, but of his own locker room.