It’s been nearly two months since we last heard from the Jets brass following their horrific 3-14 season.
But both Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey will both speak at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
A lot has changed since Glenn and Mougey’s end-of-season press conference on Jan. 6. Glenn has made several changes to his coaching staff.
The Jets are almost two weeks away from the start of free agency on March 11 with several key positions to fill. With that in mind, here are the topics Glenn and Mougey will likely be asked at the combine in Indianapolis.
Will the Jets tag Hall?
Breece Hall is the Jets top impending free agent this offseason. Until March 3, the Jets can place the franchise or transition tag on Hall if the two sides cannot reach an agreement.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Jets are “weighing all options with Hall’s future.” There are three different tags the Jets could use on Hall. Gang Green could use the non-exclusive franchise tag, which would allow him to sign an offer sheet with another team. That would also give the Jets a chance to match it, or they’ll receive two first-round picks in compensation.
The second option is an exclusive franchise tag, which would give the Jets exclusive negotiating rights and prevent Hall from receiving offers from other teams. Finally, they could also use the transition tag, which, like the non-exclusive franchise tag, would give Hall a chance to negotiate with other teams. But unlike the franchise tag, the Jets wouldn’t receive any draft compensation if they refused to match the other team’s offer.
The transition tag ($11.7 million) could make more sense than the franchise tag ($14.5 million). On Saturday, the Cowboys and running back Javonte Williams agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract, including $16 million guaranteed. It is likely Hall will try to exceed Williams contract on the open market. The Jets will have to decide whether it is better to tag Hall and work on a long-term deal or address another need via the 2026 NFL Draft.
What are the Jets plans at QB in 2026?
At the end of the season press conference, Mougey said the process to fix the Jets’ quarterback position began the day after their season-ending loss to the Bills.
“That process starts yesterday, and today, and throughout the week as we will have a lot of discussions internally,” he said. “I can tell you this, we will exhaust every option. Free agency, the league, obviously the draft, we will exhaust that and have a good solution for the New York Jets.”
So what exactly is that good solution? A year ago, Mougey and Glenn thought they found a quarterback in Justin Fields, who could stabilize the position. But after just nine starts, Fields was benched.
With Fields expected to be released this offseason, the Jets could dip back into the free agent market for a solution. But the free-agent class of quarterbacks is considered thin for high-end talent. Malik Willis and veteran bridge options, such as Marcus Mariota, headline this year’s free-agent class. Kirk Cousins is also expected to join the free agent class once the Falcons officially release him.
With 10 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets could also acquire a quarterback through a trade. Potential trade options could include Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray or 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
What led to the coaching staff shake-up?
It was expected that the Jets would make staff changes after finishing tied for the worst record in the league. But no one would imagine Glenn would have 12 new coaches on his staff, including defensive coordinator Steve Wilks (fired in December) and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand.
Glenn exchanged inexperience for veteran coaches such as offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Those two have a combined total of over 40 years of coaching experience.
Reich will be in charge of the Jets’ offense, while Glenn will reportedly call defensive plays in 2026. Brian Duker, who was hired as defensive coordinator in January after two seasons as the Dolphins’ passing game coordinator, has no play-calling experience but familiarity with Glenn’s system. Duker was in Detroit with Glenn from 2021-23, working as an assistant and defensive backs coach.
Last year, Wilks and Glenn tried to blend both of their defensive styles together, but it failed misable. Now Glenn will run his system after the Jets ranked near the bottom in yards allowed (25th), points allowed (31st), and failing to register a single interception, which was a first during a 17-game season.
Glenn previously said he wanted to be a CEO rather than call defensive plays. What led to the change of heart? Reportedly, Jets owner Woody Johnson is forcing Glenn to call plays, but the organization has refuted those reports.
Jets approach to draft and free agency?
After trading both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, the Jets added another first (No. 16) and second (No. 44) round picks. They will have four picks in the first 44 picks in the NFL Draft. So, what will Mougey’s approach be to adding to a roster that needs a talent infusion?
In addition to the quarterback position, the Jets could use multiple wide receivers, and maybe a new left guard, with John Simpson set to become a free agent. The Jets could also need help on their defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary.
Gang Green is projected to have around $80 million in salary cap space, which it can use aggressively in free agency. The combine is usually where agents and general managers meet to lay the foundation for free-agent deals.
“I think everyone wants to be aggressive, but calculated with how they attack offseasons,” Mougey said in January. “Whether that’s free agency and the draft, and just knowing your team, knowing your division, and what you need.
“You can say it’s an aggressive approach, but it really needs to be a very calculated approach, knowing your resources, your draft resources, your cap, your future cap and what that might look like. So yeah, we’re always going to look to add and kind of know where we might be deficient and where we might need to really add power to compete in the division.”
