There is a misconception around the New York Jets that some fans may not be comfortable hearing at the moment.
With the Jets sitting at 3-13 entering the final week of the regular season, blame is being thrown in various directions as people try to comprehend why the team was historically bad in 2025. Most critics have set their sights on first-year head coach Aaron Glenn for several reasons.
One of those reasons is his inability to adapt his goals and focus to the primary demands of the modern NFL. New York’s struggles to develop its young talent are also a significant concern.
But is Glenn the lone reason for another Jets’ losing season? Does he deserve to be a one-and-done coach like so many fans are calling for?
A realistic examination of the situation says otherwise.
It’s not just Glenn
Let’s start with the obvious: Glenn has been nothing short of a disaster this season. His opening press conference bravado and overconfidence with the media never matched what the team was showing on the field.
If a coach wants to act like Bill Parcells, he’d better show his back and back it up with wins. Glenn never did that, and it’s why a lot of fans have already turned their backs on the new leader.
Numerous game-management mistakes, postgame press conference blunders, and a late-season coordinator change all show Glenn was clearly overwhelmed with the Jets this season.
When a coach says how “big” a job being a head coach in the NFL is, it gives off a perception that he wasn’t as prepared as initially thought. That only makes things worse as the losses pile up.
However, Glenn isn’t New York’s only problem.
For multiple seasons, the perception around the Jets was that they were a talented football team that lacked the proper coaching. All-Pros like Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and Quincy Williams manned the defense along with many other talented players, while Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall spearheaded the offense.
Yet, despite the supposed talent level of that core, those players never led the Jets to a winning record and consistently underperformed in games where they seemingly had a talent advantage.
Instead of pinning the 2025 season on Glenn, maybe it’s also fair to say the talent level of the team was never as good as initially perceived.
New York has also been forced to start three different quarterbacks and lost their best offensive player halfway through the year. Not to mention, the trades of Gardner and Williams only further lowered the team’s expectations.
At some point, that lack of talent will catch up with a team that was overrated to begin with.
It’s fair to say that Glenn has severely underperformed as head coach of the Jets, and that there are legitimate concerns about whether he should return for a second season. It’s also fair to say that he should be cut some slack for poor late-season results with a UDFA quarterback and a talent-deprived roster.
In today’s world, many fans and analysts want to blame every failure on a single thing or person. But the reality typically lies somewhere in the middle.
Yes, Glenn has been very bad in 2025. The players he inherited, though, simply weren’t any good to begin with.