Inside the Jets’ Culture Reset: Harrison Phillips Opens Up on a Tough First Year Under Aaron Glenn
With Super Bowl LX looming and the AFC East spotlight once again shining on the New England Patriots, it’s hard for Buffalo Bills fans not to feel a twinge of frustration. But if there’s any consolation for the Bills faithful, it might come from looking downstate-where the New York Jets just wrapped up another season that can only be described as rock bottom.
The Jets stumbled through 2025, managing just four wins under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. That earned them the No. 2 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft-a silver lining, perhaps, but one that comes with more questions than answers, especially at quarterback.
The bigger story, though, might not be about talent. It’s about culture.
And one of the Jets’ own, veteran defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, isn’t sugarcoating it.
“A Very Cancerous, Truculent Group”
Phillips, who joined the Jets ahead of the 2025 season after stints with the Bills and Vikings, didn’t hold back when discussing the state of the locker room Glenn inherited.
“I think A.G. inherited a very cancerous, truculent group, whole, top to bottom,” Phillips said.
That’s a strong indictment, but it’s one that seems to track with the team’s actions. The Jets parted ways with two of their biggest defensive stars-Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams-both elite talents at their positions. But talent wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding, and the organization clearly decided it was time to hit reset.
Gardner, now with the Colts, even admitted he was late to his first meeting in Indianapolis-something that opened his eyes to the different expectations and discipline in a new environment. That kind of moment speaks volumes. It’s not just about X’s and O’s-it’s about accountability, leadership, and buy-in.
A Season That Tested Even the Optimists
Phillips, an eight-year NFL vet who’s been part of playoff runs in both Buffalo and Minnesota, admitted 2025 tested his own belief system.
“I was there for one season; it was a very difficult season,” he said. “And I almost wanted to waver on some of my thoughts, and my beliefs, and my optimism. And so I can imagine having to be there year after year, after year, after year, and not seeing the results that you wanted, and it tainted people.”
That’s the kind of wear-and-tear you don’t see on the stat sheet. Losing seasons don’t just affect win-loss records-they chip away at culture.
And when that culture turns toxic, it becomes a cycle. Vets set the tone, rookies follow suit, and bad habits get passed down like a playbook.
“Young players come in and see, ‘Oh, that’s my vet, and that’s how they’re acting, so I’m going to act like that too.’ And so it’s a long chain of things, and it can’t be fixed like that,” Phillips added.
A Historic Low Point
If you’re looking for a stat that encapsulates just how far the Jets fell in 2025, here it is: zero interceptions in 17 games. That’s not a typo. Glenn’s defense became the first since the NFL-AFL merger to finish a full regular season with fewer than two interceptions.
For a head coach who made his name as a ball-hawking cornerback-41 picks in his own NFL career-that’s not just frustrating. It’s symbolic. Glenn is trying to instill a mindset, a standard, and so far, the results haven’t caught up to the vision.
Still, Phillips believes in the long game.
Why Phillips Still Believes
Despite the dysfunction, the losing, and the historic lack of takeaways, Phillips sees a path forward under Glenn. It’s not about quick fixes-it’s about building something sustainable.
Glenn started from the bottom, and the hole was deeper than most realized. But with a war chest of draft picks and a locker room that’s already undergone major turnover, there’s a foundation to build on.
Phillips’ message to Jets fans? Trust the process.
Glenn has the experience, the competitive fire, and now, the opportunity to reshape the franchise’s identity. But it won’t happen overnight.
The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. They’ve cycled through coaches and quarterbacks like a revolving door.
And every time there’s a glimmer of hope, it’s been snuffed out by the same systemic issues.
Still, if the team can finally commit to a unified vision-from the front office to the field-they might just be able to break the cycle.
AFC East Déjà Vu
Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC East feels eerily familiar. The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl.
The Bills are still chasing their first appearance in over 30 years. The Dolphins are in another transitional phase.
And the Jets? Still trying to climb out of the basement.
But maybe, just maybe, 2025 was the bottom. And if that’s the case, there’s only one direction left to go.
Phillips has seen what a winning culture looks like. Now, he’s hoping to help build one in New York.