A new regime and different vibes surround the Jets as a new season begins.
Two years ago, the Jets made a bold move to acquire future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
There were high expectations and a lot of build-up with Rodgers on the roster. The NFL even gave the Jets 11 prime-time games the last two seasons.
But all Gang Green had to show for the previous two years was a dismal 12-22 record, and both their coach, Robert Saleh, and general manager, Joe Douglas, were fired.
Now, first-year coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will try to do what Saleh and Douglas could not: Turn the Jets from a perennial losing team into contenders.
Glenn has experienced this turnaround firsthand at multiple stops. When he was a player with the Jets from 1994 to 2001, Glenn witnessed the team go from a 1-15 season to a 12-4 record and a game away from the Super Bowl in just two seasons.
“You’ve got to be built for New York,” Glenn’s former teammate Ray Mickens said. “You’ve got to be built for this. And No. 1, obviously, we know that A.G.’s built for it, and I think that he’s looking for players that are built to play here.”
The first difficult decision Glenn made after he was hired in January was releasing Rodgers after two disappointing seasons.
“He’s going to draw a hard line in the sand on a lot of things,” Mickens said. “And sometimes veteran players — and it’s OK, you know, you could be a Hall of Famer or whatever — if you’re not willing to do this and if you’re not willing to do this, then you know what, you’ve got to move on.”
When Glenn was the defensive coordinator of the Lions, the team improved from 3-13-1 in 2021 to 12-5 in 2023 and 15-2 last season. Now, Glenn will attempt to do the same with the franchise that drafted him.
Glenn has not coached a regular game for the Jets, but he has already won over his players after changing the team’s culture during the offseason and training camp. One of the many aspects Glenn wanted to change with the Jets was their level of physicality and mentality.
Unlike the last two years in which the Jets relied heavily on their passing attack, Glenn believes games are won in the trenches. Gang Green is expected to be a run-heavy offense with the athletic ability of quarterback Justin Fields leading the way.
A year ago, the Jets were second-to-last in rushing yards and last in rushing attempts. They also had issues stopping the run after being 17th in that area.
Some might say today’s NFL is a passing league. But don’t tell Glenn that after the Philadelphia Eagles, who were first 29th in passing and second in rushing, won the Super Bowl.
“Who says this is a passing league?” Glenn asked a reporter who asked about his concern about being able to throw the ball down the field. “The team that won the Super Bowl, what were they in passing? 29th. What were they in running?”
Unlike most modern training camps, where many teams do not practice live tackling, Glenn believes the only way to improve in that area is to practice it. That’s why the Jets, on the team’s first day in full pads, conducted one-on-one tackling drills.
Live tackling is uncommon in today’s NFL landscape because of the fear of injury. Many players hadn’t practiced one-on-one tackling since they were in high school or college.
Who knows if this will translate into wins for the Jets, but the players have certainly bought into Glenn’s message.
“I’ve been coached by one of the greatest coaches of all time [Nick Saban],” Quinnen Williams said. “I kind of know how it looks and how it feels when it comes down to being around people who can take me and a team to the highest level. And [Glenn] has every aspect in him. The way he carries himself, I know he is going to be one of the greatest coaches in the league.”
CAN FIELDS BE THE LONG-TERM ANSWER AT QB?
Glenn’s culture change isn’t the only thing new with the Jets. Fields hopes to revive his career after signing a two-year, $40 million contract in March to replace Rodgers.
Much like his career up to this point, Fields had an uneven training camp with the Jets. He often held onto the ball too long and has been hesitant to throw it downfield.
In his defense, Fields is learning his fourth offense in five seasons after stints with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected by the Bears 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, after three disappointing seasons with the Bears, they traded the former Ohio State star to Pittsburgh. Chicago then drafted Caleb Williams.
Following a preseason competition, the Steelers announced Fields would be Russell Wilson’s backup. But he started six games and had a 4-2 record for Pittsburgh after Wilson suffered a preseason calf injury. However, they decided to return to the former Super Bowl champ once he was fully recovered.
Now Fields and Rodgers have done their own rendition of the movie “Trading Places.” Considering this is his third team in three seasons, this could be Fields’ final opportunity to prove he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
“Definitely something that I want to prove to myself,” Fields said in the spring. “I think my expectations for myself are higher than anybody else to be honest with you, so something to prove for myself and again.
“I think I’ve been improving each year I’ve been in the league. So, I look to do the same this year, to be honest with you. I think my expectations for myself are higher than you guys, it’s higher than all of the people in this building.”
Fields, 26, was solid during his preseason opener after completing 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards. But in two series during his final tune-up for the regular season, Fields finished with more rushing yards (five) than passing yards (four).
It also doesn’t help that the Jets lack a valid No. 2 option opposite Garrett Wilson, with whom Fields has chemistry dating back to their time as teammates at Ohio State. Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson are the other receivers on the Jets roster.
But Glenn remains confident in the Jets’ passing attack.
“You have so many people that want to talk about a small amount of plays that these guys get to go out there and play,” Glenn said. “Then everything is falling down because we throw six passes, and then I mean he’s Johnny Unitas when he throws four passes. It bothers me, and I laugh at it quite a bit, but the thing is, I understand it because that’s the noise that happens on the outside that our guys can’t really listen to.
“Listen, we go out here and we practice our ass off every day to be who we are going to be, and that’s where my confidence lies, in what we do on the grass here. And listen, preseason means a lot, it does, but for the most part, we concentrate on what we do on the grass because you get a ton of reps in that aspect.”
