Trust us.
That’s what Jets coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey asked fans to do following an abysmal 3-14 season and missing the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season.
“Listen, we’re frustrated about this season,” Glenn said last week during the end-of-season press conference. “I know the fans are frustrated about it also, but there’s also faith that comes with that and there’s also the fact that we went through this whole year to be able to learn a ton about ourselves, about our roster, about how we can get better, and I have total confidence in that and I want the fans to have total confidence in that also.
“So, for our fans, listen, again, there’s a vision that we have, and there’s a trust that we have in that also. And I expect and I would want our fans to have a total trust in us in being able to do that, and we have to earn that too, and our plan is to do that. We don’t expect to have another season like this here, so we’re looking forward to this offseason, looking forward to getting to work, and using the draft capital that we have, the money we have in free agency, to continue to build what were trying to build.”
But can Jets fans trust Glenn and Mougey to turn around a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010? It remains to be seen whether this regime differs from the previous ones over the past 15 years.
But Stephan Pechdimaldji, who has been a fan since the 1980s, says he still believes in Glenn and Mougey despite the team losing its final five games by 23 points or more.
“I’m not one of these guys that think, fire Aaron,” Pechdimaldji told the Daily News. “I still believe in him. With Mougey, that’s what gives me hope right now, that I do believe in Darren Mougey and I do believe in Aaron Glenn.
“I really do feel like these guys get it. I’m not here to blame their predecessors, but with [Robert] Saleh and [Joe] Douglas, you always got the sense that they came in and made excuses. They always said they inherited a bad team. I feel like [Glenn and Mougey] take more accountability.
“You gotta give them some more time, especially with the roster.”
After what they saw this season, it is hard to blame Jets fans for their lack of trust in the current crew in charge. One of the first decisions they made was releasing Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Both Rodgers and Adams made the playoffs with the Steelers and Rams, respectively.
They compounded those decisions by signing quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract. Fields was eventually benched after he struggled during a stretch in which the Jets were 2-7 in his nine starts. Gang Green’s offense finished this season 29th in yards (263.6) and 29th in points per game (17.6).
If an inept offense wasn’t bad enough, Glenn made plenty of costly mistakes during his first season. He struck out on his defensive coordinator choice and Steve Wilks was fired after 14 games. There were also in-game management decisions, his loyalty to Fields, and Glenn overestimating the talent on the Jets’ roster.
“I expected them to lose a lot of games, I didn’t expect them to look completely lost and non-competitive,” Jets fan Glenn Naughton told The News. “I hate to be overly pessimistic, but there’s so much that has to go right for them to turn things around.
“I don’t see this thing getting better anytime soon. I think Aaron Glenn has a long way to go before he’s a good coach, if he’s ever going to be a good coach. And to think this coaching staff is going to be in charge of developing what we’re all expecting will be a first-round quarterback, we have to see changes. I expect them to bring in someone who’s worked with and successfully developed a quarterback. My long and short-term outlook for this team is not very good because the odds of Aaron Glenn being as bad as he was and turning it around in a year or two, I just don’t see it happening.”
If Jet fans have hope, it is because of the team’s draft capital and the salary cap space available this offseason. Gang Green has two first-round picks at No. 2 and No. 16 overall (because of the Sauce Gardner trade to the Colts). In addition, the Jets also have two second-round picks, with one of them coming after Quinnen Williams was dealt to the Cowboys.
The Jets are also projected to have over $90 million to spend in free agency. With several holes on both sides of the ball, they have a lot of work to do to be competitive next season. The most pressing issue is who will be the Jets’ QB next season?
“We will have a lot of discussions internally,” Mougey 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.”
But can this regime develop a quarterback? That has been an area that has plagued the Jets for decades. Over the last eight years, the Jets have drafted Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson, traded for Rodgers, and signed Fields, yet none of the moves have worked out.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore are likely to be the first two quarterbacks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick and many are expecting to draft Mendoza, who is the consensus top quarterback in the class. Moore, 20, comes with significant concerns — should he declare — after committing three turnovers in Oregon’s 56-22 loss to Indiana in the Peach Bowl.
“We’ve been searching for a quarterback since [Joe] Namath, and that’s a lot to ask these kids to come in and be the savior of this organization,” Pechdimaldji said.
“My preference would be to draft someone and have them sit for a couple of years and learn and not be the savior Day 1. They should bring in two veterans and have whoever they draft sit and learn and develop the proper way.”
Glenn has often told Jets fans to “Not let go of the rope” when preaching patience after so many have been beaten down by losing seasons. But he can’t blame fans for taking a wait-and-see approach after hearing many of the same speeches from different coaches.
Glenn and Mougey will have to prove that this era of Jets football will be different from previous ones. If they don’t, Woody Johnson, who hasn’t been known for his patience, could make significant changes … again.
