Wink Martindale may have just confirmed Woody Johnson meddling rumors

The New York Jets had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, ranking 30th in the league in defensive efficiency according to Sumer Sports' EPA/play and dead last against the pass. You may have heard they weren't even able to record a single interception through all 17 games.

Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was fired after the Jets' Week 15 drubbing at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it was obvious that a change was needed on that side of the ball.

At the start of the offseason, there were rumblings that former New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was in talks to join the Jets as their newest DC. In fact, he interviewed twice with the organization, including an in-person meeting.

For whatever reason, Martindale was not hired to be the next Jets defensive coordinator, despite multiple reporters saying all signs were pointing in that direction. The speculation was that owner Woody Johnson, who has a reputation for sticking his hands in the cookie jar, influenced Aaron Glenn into taking over playcalling duties himself.

Glenn denied those rumors, once through ESPN's Rich Cimini, and again at the NFL Combine. But Martindale finally came out and gave his side of the story, and it conflicts with Glenn's denials.

Wink Martindale says Jets DC saga was 'out of' Aaron Glenn's hands

On the Talkin' Ball podcast with the New York Daily News' Pat Leonard, Martindale said that the decision not to hire him was, in fact, not Glenn's.

"I think it was close. I’ve always respected and I like Aaron Glenn. He’s a good dude, and we think a lot alike on a lot of similar things defensively. But just to be honest with you, I think it was one of those decisions that was out of his hands, and we’ll just leave it at that. But that’s OK. Wherever you’re at is where you’re supposed to be"

Wink Martindale

Martindale essentially confirmed the rumor that Johnson directed Glenn to take over playcalling duties for the 2026 season, but, frankly, that isn't the worst thing in the world. The former Giants DC is a solid coach, but there's a reason he's currently unemployed.

Glenn was an incredibly successful defensive coordinator. It's what landed him the Jets job in the first place. In his final year with the Detroit Lions (2024), they finished seventh in the league in defensive efficiency despite having nearly half of their starters on injured reserve.

The Jets didn't dodge a bullet by not hiring Martindale, but it's safe to say fans should prefer to have Glenn running the show than the recently fired Michigan DC.