New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is facing long odds to turn this around.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini noted in his Sunday, October 4 column that “Glenn reached the 20-game mark with only four wins. He’s one of only nine coaches since 2000 to have a .200 winning percentage or worse in his first 20 games with the same team, according to ESPN Research.”
“Statistically, the chances of a turnaround are remote. Of the previous eight, only one — the Cincinnati Bengals‘ Zac Taylor — achieved sustained success after his dreadful start. Jim Schwartz did get the Lions to the playoffs in his third year, but he followed that with two losing seasons and was a goner,” Cimini wrote.
There is a glimmer of hope. Glenn’s old stomping grounds in Detroit are one of the exceptions to the rule.
“It’s worth noting that the Lions’ Dan Campbell (.225) narrowly missed the list and has proved that a major reversal is possible. Glenn, who rode shotgun with Campbell as his defensive coordinator, has compared the current Jets to those Lions, even saying after last week’s game that he’s experiencing ‘déjà vu.’ The Lions finished 9-8 in Campbell’s second year, so Glenn’s turnaround needs to start soon,” Cimini added.
Secure Your Signature Win
Glenn lacks wins in general, let alone signature wins. However, the Week 4 matchup against the Chicago Bears presents a golden opportunity for Glenn to prove this year is different.
Sure, Chicago will be trotting out one of their backup quarterbacks. The recent information suggests it’ll be inexperienced passer Tyson Bagent on the mound to start the game. That may not sound that impressive on the surface, but the puppeteer behind the scenes is Ben Johnson.
Johnson is widely considered one of the brightest, if not the brightest, offensive minds in the game. If Glenn were to outfox Johnson on the road in Chicago to pull off the upset win, that would be a huge feather in the cap of the Jets’ head coach.
Plus it would put the Jets back at .500 (2-2) with everything still in front of them this season.
“There are so many positives to take away from the Jets’ first month of the season, including two one-score losses, that Glenn is at the very least playing his way into the conversation to keep his job in 2027 and beyond. Glenn’s Jets are taking steps, there’s no denying it, so far,” NFL Insider Matt Lombardo wrote for “Between The Hashmarks.”
“If things continue trending in this direction, the wins are going to come, and for Glenn, each victory feels like a step closer to bolstering his job security to see it through to when the talent is in place and ready for this team to make a leap,” Lombardo added.
Roster Elevations
NFL analyst Will Parkinson of “Badlands” revealed that the Jets are elevating wide receiver Sterling Shepard and linebacker Jaden Keller for the Bears game.
The Jets later confirmed the news.
The Jets are dealing with an alarming number of injuries.
Shepard is expected to see an uptick in snaps, ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
The linebacker position has been destroyed by injuries, with Marcelino McCrary-Ball on IR and Kiko Mauigoa ruled out for this contest. Keller should fill a role as a rotational piece and provide depth on special teams.
Jets HC Aaron Glenn Reaches New Low Before Bears Game