Aaron Glenn’s first year in charge may not be setting up as the kind of pressure cooker some expected.
The Jets have at least climbed out of the spot they’ve occupied too often in recent years: the automatic pick for worst team in the AFC East. That doesn’t mean they’re suddenly breathing down the Bills’ neck or closing the gap on a Patriots team that has been rebuilt, but the division picture is shifting. New York’s own progress, paired with Miami sliding into a transitional stretch, is changing the conversation.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton reflected that shift by projecting the Dolphins to finish last in the division. Given how rough the 2020s have been, that’s the kind of prediction Jets fans will gladly take.
The bigger question is what success actually looks like for Glenn and the Jets in 2026. That part still feels fuzzy.
Finishing above Miami sounds nice, but if New York goes 5-12 and the Dolphins stumble to 3-14, it’s hard to call that some major breakthrough. At that point, optimism starts to feel forced.
I’ve been critical of Glenn because he looked overwhelmed in his first season as a head coach. He often came off combative and defensive, especially when the New York media kept pressing him.
Even so, Jets ownership clearly sees something worth sticking with. They are not treating him like a one-and-done the way the Patriots did with Jerod Mayo.
Moton also deserves credit for not just penciling in the Jets because they’re the Jets. On paper, New York has the better roster. Miami’s list of proven playmakers is thin beyond De’Von Achane, and there’s no sign the team plans to re-sign Tyreek Hill.
The Jets, meanwhile, still have Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, who can be argued into the top 10 at receiver. Their offensive line is solid, and the defense looks ready to take a meaningful step forward.
A surprise playoff push? I’m not buying it.
There are too many AFC teams with quarterbacks who are already at least above average. But in the race for third place in the AFC East, the Jets look like the better bet than the Dolphins.
That still wouldn’t be some grand accomplishment, and it wouldn’t suddenly put Glenn in Coach of the Year territory. The real point is progress, especially from a young core that needs to keep developing.
After the way the national media has gone after the Jets all offseason, even the backhanded compliments are worth noticing.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Are About To Hate The Latest Robert Saleh Hype
Robert Saleh is still getting the sort of national-coach treatment that tends to make Jets fans roll their eyes. Even after a 20-36 run in New York, he remains a popular name in league circles, and Tennessees decision to bring him in has only added to the sense that some evaluators still see him as a defensive mind worth betting on. The Titans also give him a familiar setup, with John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson II back in the mix, which only strengthens the idea that this is a staff and roster combination built around his style.
The hype has gone a step further with some analysts already floating Tennessee as a possible playoff team, a label that will sound especially familiar to anyone who watched the Jets try to live up to similar optimism. For New York fans, the frustrating part is not just that Saleh is getting another chance, but that the conversation around him has shifted so quickly from what went wrong here to what he might do next. If the Titans do take a step forward, it will only sharpen the debate over how much of Salehs reputation was ever tied to the Jets in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans May Not Like Who David Bailey Is Being Tied To
David Bailey arrives in New York with the kind of draft status that can create expectations before he ever takes a snap, and the Jets are already treating him like one of the rookies who will be watched most closely in 2026. As the No. 2 pick, Bailey is being measured not just by what he can become, but by how quickly he can help a team that needs young talent to matter right away.
Aaron Glenn is in a similarly unforgiving spot, which is why the comparison is hard for Jets fans to miss. Bailey and Glenn are both being asked to prove their worth to the organization in a season where patience is in short supply, and the pressure around the rookie only grows when the coach who helped bring him in is facing the same kind of scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Glenn May Have Found The Jets Defender Who Changes Everything
The Jets swap of Jermaine Johnson II to Tennessee for TVondre Sweat was always going to invite a little second-guessing, but the early read on the deal is less about what New York gave up and more about what it may have gained in the middle of the defense. ESPN analyst Ben Solak pointed to Sweat as the player most likely to make a real leap in 2026 under Aaron Glenn, whose reputation for pushing and connecting with players has already become part of the conversation around the new regime.
That kind of projection makes sense in a scheme built to stop the run, where Sweat is expected to line up as a nose tackle and anchor a front that leans on three defensive linemen. There is still plenty to prove, of course, but the appeal is obvious: if Glenns style can unlock the version of Sweat the Jets believe they are getting, New York may have found a defender whose ceiling changes the way the rest of the front is viewed. [Read more 🡒]