The New York Jets are still carrying a mountain of baggage into 2026, but Jon Gruden thinks there’s a path out of it - and he points to Detroit as the blueprint.
On a recent episode of Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take, the former NFL head coach said the Jets can follow the same kind of culture reset the Lions went through under Dan Campbell.
"The hope is, all these people that criticize Aaron Glenn- no way; he's doing the same thing out there that Dan Campbell did with the Lions. You know, you got to restore the roar before you can kick the door down."
That comparison starts with the record. Glenn’s first season in New York ended at 3-14, which didn’t exactly calm anyone down. But Campbell’s first year in Detroit wasn’t a breakthrough either, finishing 3-13-1 before the Lions started their climb.
Gruden’s point is that the early results can look ugly before the bigger shift takes hold. He also noted Glenn’s decision to move on from several holdovers from the Robert Saleh era - the group of players Jets fans have labeled the “mopers.”
Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Sauce Gardner, and Jermaine Johnson are out. In their place are veterans Demario Davis, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and David Onyemata, players with the kind of experience Gruden believes can help reshape the tone around the team.
The Jets’ draft class adds another layer to that idea. David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, Omar Cooper Jr., and D’Angelo Ponds all come from winning college programs and played in this year’s College Football Playoff. Cooper and Ponds won the title.
For a franchise that owns the longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues, optimism doesn’t come easy. But Gruden is buying the idea that Glenn can help flip the script.
If the comparison to Campbell holds, the Jets could be looking at a 9-8 season in 2026 and a shot at a wild card spot.
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