Jets' David Bailey, Aaron Glenn facing shared pressure after controversial draft pick

Given their respective backgrounds as undersized defensive backs, D’Angelo Ponds is the New York Jets rookie we’ve typically heard compared to coach Aaron Glenn. 

Now, David Bailey has unexpectedly found himself in the same sentence as Glenn. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards included Bailey, the No. 2 pick, among the rookies he believes are under the most pressure. 

Fittingly, Bailey placed second behind Cardinals running back (and No. 3 pick) Jeremiyah Love. But what caught our attention was the reference Edwards made to Glenn, whom the Jets retained despite going 3-14 in his first season. 

“Glenn, himself is presumably on the hot seat, so player and coach can bond over shared experiences in 2026,” Edwards wrote.

Does Aaron Glenn need David Bailey to save his job?

Outside of quarterbacks, I’ve always been skeptical of the idea that any player can save a coach’s job. 

Of course, a player can certainly contribute to a firing. Just ask the many coaches and lead football executives who the Jets, Browns, and Jaguars have had this century. 

To be clear, Edwards never argued that Bailey is the key to Glenn even surviving the season. In fact, the “shared experiences” comment he made is dead-on. 

Glenn and Bailey both enter 2026 needing to justify why they’ll be wearing Jets gear in training camp. Bailey seemingly overtook Ohio State’s Arvell Reese late in the pre-draft process, at least in terms of media projections and external narratives.

For the time being, Bailey and Reese will be intertwined, so it’s only right that they both landed in New York: Bailey with the Jets and Reese with the Giants. As for Glenn, the Jets opted to keep him when Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh were both available.

Granted, Stefanski doesn’t have Harbaugh’s resume, but he led a dysfunctional Browns organization to the playoffs twice in six years. There’s a reason why Atlanta moved quickly to scoop him up. 

No one has ever doubted Glenn’s passion, and that’s not simply him getting fired up on the sidelines. From his introductory press conference in January 2025, we’ve seen how much the thought of winning in New York truly means to him.

Barring disaster, we’re nearly two months away from seeing just what the Glenn and Bailey duo can achieve. The best-case scenario for this season is both making the most of their opportunities and validating the Jets’ faith.

If not? We’ll be right back where we usually are. 

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