Jets fans may not buy Aaron Glenn's new praise of Will McDonald

The New York Jets chose to stand pat at the deadline, making no moves beyond flipping Andre Cisco to the Detroit Lions for a 2029 sixth-round pick. This came despite pass rusher Will McDonald receiving some interest and the Jets turning down some enticing offers for his services. Some reports went as high as a prime Day 2 asset being dangled in McDonald talks.

McDonald has found himself buried on the Jets' depth chart this season, and he has been far from John Abraham as a pass rusher when he has been on the field. However, the Jets seemingly turned the trade down because of this mystical grand plan that will unlock McDonald. Head coach Aaron Glenn defended the process.

Glenn said that McDonald, who had requested a trade after seeing his role diminish this season, has "second-to-none" pass-rush ability and has earned an expanded role on this defense. This is rich when applied to a 27-year-old player in his fourth season who hasn't even been significantly better than Kingsley Enagbare.

New York Jets' defense of Will McDonald rings hollow

The song remains the same for McDonald in his fourth season. He is a very poor run defender who is not maximizing his full potential as a pass rusher, but he is capable of catching fire every now and again. These brief moments of potential come after long stretches without much of anything happening.

The Jets planned to go into the season with McDonald as part of a four-man edge rotation that includes No. 2 pick David Bailey and free agent additions Joseph Ossai and Enagbare. Ossai has been hurt for almost the entire year, and Enagbare has cooled off significantly after a hot start.

The New York Jets are playing for the future by keeping Will McDonald

For a coach who is trying to pull off the miracle of all miracles to keep his job for a third season, playing McDonald could be worth experimenting with. Unless Bailey goes nuts, as he did against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jets have shown all year long that they have a limited pass rush.

However, Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs have both regressed to the point where they are barely playable. The run defense without T'Vondre Sweat has gone from average to deplorable, and playing McDonald is just about the least productive thing that could be done to improve the team in this area.

This saga has shown that it remains unclear who is calling the shots. Does Glenn genuinely believe in McDonald? Is Mougey trying to save players for the next regime? Did the Jets simply not have their price met? The lack of clarity is driving fans crazy.

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