When Aaron Glenn left Detroit to take over as head coach of the New York Jets last year, it wasn’t exactly a shock that he had his eye on a few familiar faces from his Lions defense. One of those names was linebacker Derrick Barnes, but in the end, no Detroit players followed Glenn to New York in that initial wave.
Now, after a rocky first season with the Jets, Glenn could be looking to tap back into his old Lions pipeline - and this time, the timing might be right.
Let’s rewind for a second. When Glenn first took the Jets job, reports surfaced that he was interested in bringing Barnes with him in free agency.
The Lions, clearly aware of that possibility, acted fast. They locked Barnes up with a three-year, $25.5 million deal before he ever hit the open market.
That move not only kept a key piece of Detroit’s linebacker corps in place, but it also signaled something else: the Lions were preparing for change elsewhere in the room.
Now, the focus shifts to veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone - a nine-year pro, locker room leader, and a trusted voice in Dan Campbell’s defense. According to reports coming out of the Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, Anzalone is unlikely to return to Detroit and may be on a collision course with a reunion in New York.
The connection between Glenn and Anzalone runs deep. Glenn was Anzalone’s defensive coordinator in Detroit, and the two have maintained a strong relationship.
That bond, combined with the Jets’ need at linebacker, makes the potential fit all the more logical. Anzalone brings experience, leadership, and a physical presence that could help stabilize a Jets defense that struggled to find consistency last season.
There were rumblings last offseason that Anzalone wasn’t thrilled with his contract situation. He made his feelings known on social media, and while the Lions eventually adjusted the final year of his deal to bring him into camp, it always felt like a temporary fix. Before the Lions’ final home game this season, Anzalone himself acknowledged that the end might be near.
From a roster-building standpoint, Detroit has already started to prepare for life after Anzalone. Re-signing Barnes was step one.
The emergence of younger players at the position could be step two. And while nothing is official yet, all signs point toward Anzalone hitting the open market in March.
Of course, Anzalone publicly downplayed the latest report on Monday - which is to be expected. But even if he’s not ready to confirm anything just yet, the writing’s on the wall. His time in Detroit appears to be over, and a reunion with Glenn in New York is a scenario that makes a lot of football sense.
For Glenn, who’s entering a pivotal second season with the Jets, bringing in a veteran who knows his system and can help set the tone in the locker room could be a stabilizing move. For Anzalone, it could be a chance to extend his career in a familiar scheme under a coach he trusts.
We’ll see how it plays out when free agency opens in March, but don’t be surprised if Anzalone is wearing green and white next fall.