Aaron Glenn’s first year with the Jets was rough enough to put his name on a hot-seat list before Year 2 even begins.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski slotted the New York head coach at No. 2 in his piece, “5 NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat Entering Make-or-Break 2026 Season,” raising the question of whether Glenn could be gone after the 2026 season if the Jets don’t show real progress.
That concern starts with what happened last year. New York finished 3-14 in Glenn’s debut season, and the collapse came with a pair of ugly historical marks: the Jets became the first team in NFL history to go without a defensive interception and to lose five straight games by 23 or more points.
The road ahead does not exactly look forgiving. In Glenn’s second season, the Jets are scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings.
Even so, the roster picture is at least better than the one Glenn inherited. The article notes that while the Jets still appear headed toward another playoff miss, they should not be the league’s punchline after a strong draft and offseason transaction cycle.
Their 2026 draft class included David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, Omar Cooper Jr., D'Angelo Ponds, Darrell Jackson Jr., Cade Klubnik, Anez Cooper and VJ Payne.
The bigger question is what kind of year that group can help produce, because the Jets may actually be better off with another poor record. A bad season would position them for a high pick in the 2027 draft, where Arch Manning or Dante Moore could be in play.
Much of the pressure also circles back to quarterback play. Smith comes into the season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions, along with a 42-56-0 starting record. He also threw 17 interceptions last season, and the source makes clear that the odds of him turning back the clock are slim.
As Sobleski put it: "Smith's return as New York's QB1 could be a limiting factor, though the Jets were not in a position to acquire a clearly better alternative," Sobleski wrote. "Glenn will need the 35-year-old signal-caller and the reworked roster to produce meaningful progress this fall; otherwise, scrutiny will likely fall on the head coach."
In Other News...
Aaron Glenn Addresses Frightening Jets Camp Medical Scare
A routine training camp day turned uneasy for the Jets when cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after a medical scare on the sideline. The episode briefly overshadowed practice, and it quickly became the sort of moment that reminds everyone around camp how fast football can shift from ordinary reps to real concern.
Head coach Aaron Glenn addressed the situation afterward and praised the medical staff for the way they handled it, emphasizing the fast response that followed. Stiggers is still recovering in the hospital, and for the Jets the focus now is on his health first, with everything else at camp taking a back seat until there is more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Could Still Turn Two Roster Bubble Names Into Draft Value
Darren Mougey has already shown a willingness to squeeze value out of the roster churn, flipping defensive tackles Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips in deals that helped the Jets while also moving Derrick Nnadi. With cutdown day approaching, that history makes it worth watching which fringe names could be next in line if the front office decides to turn a crowded depth chart into something useful.
Two players sit near the center of that conversation: Jamaal Pritchett, the undrafted rookie wideout who flashed enough in the preseason to get noticed, and Andre Cisco, who came back on a new deal after a rocky 2025 season and a pectoral injury. Neither situation is straightforward, and the Jets still have to sort out how each fits against the rest of the roster, which leaves both players in the kind of limbo that can quietly turn into trade interest before the final cuts are made. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Practice Scare Puts Qwantez Stiggers Status In Immediate Doubt
A tense moment interrupted the Jets joint practice with the Buccaneers when cornerback Qwantez Stiggers suddenly collapsed on the sideline and had to be taken to a local hospital. It was the kind of scene that instantly shifts attention away from camp competition and toward the bigger priority, because Stiggers has been battling for a larger role while also contributing on special teams in a crowded cornerback room.
Head coach Aaron Glenn said Stiggers was conscious and talking afterward, which offered some relief after the scare, but his status remains very much in question as the Jets move through camp. For a player trying to carve out defensive snaps, even a brief medical interruption can matter, and the team will be watching closely to see how quickly he can get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]