Latest free agency projection matches Jets to a pair of Aaron Glenn's old Lions

The New York Jets can't afford another disaster of a season as they had in 2026, as it would all but assuredly mean the end of Aaron Glenn's tenure as head coach. Glenn himself is trying to replicate his old Detroit Lions teams as vigorously as possible.

Not only did Glenn make the decision to call defensive plays himself this season and hire a former Lions assistant in Brian Duker to be the defensive coordinator, but all signs point to him spending the Jets' available free agent dollars on some of his old starters from his days in the Motor City.

FOX Sports postulates that linebacker Alex Anzalone could be on his way to New York, citing his four years under Glenn in Detroit and the level of play he could provide at a position of need. The Jets may try to bring in another pass rusher from Detroit as well to go heavy on the former Glenn pupils.

FOX also wondered if defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had a career year with 11 sacks as a situational pass rusher, would sign with a Jets team that can pay him a lot more money than the Lions at this point in time. Both of these players had success under Glenn before, so why can't they do it again?

FOX projects Jets will sign former Lions Alex Anzalone, Al-Quadin Muhammad

The popular NFL mock draft selection for the Jets with the No. 2 overall pick is Ohio State hybrid dynamo Arvell Reese. Signing both Anzalone and Muhammad would ease the pressure on Reese, as it wouldn't place as much of a burden on him as either an inside linebacker or edge rusher.

Even though Anzalone is going to turn 32 years old soon, he graded out as a respectable coverage linebacker (23rd out of 88 in the eyes of Pro Football Focus) and remains a quality tackler in space. He already knows Glenn's scheme like the back of his hand and can go a long way toward installing the culture AG wants.

Muhammad, a Don Bosco Prep alum, is not going to be a double-digit sack guy every year. However, if the Jets get priced out of some of the higher-end options on the market, Muhammad could be a cheap alternative they could use to give their pass rush the juice it lacked on passing downs.

Glenn faces some grim odds when it comes to turning this team around in just a few months, but signings like Anzalone and Muhammad are the type of moves fans should be hoping they make as the