The New York Jets‘ coaching staff has been shrouded in mystery since the offseason began, but it seems we’re getting closer to head coach Aaron Glenn deciding on his assistant coaches.
At first, it sounded like former Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was the favorite to land the job, but in the last 24 hours, the tune has changed surrounding him and the Jets.
The two sides have have been conversing in varying degrees for quite awhile. Martindale, going into his visit on Saturday, was considered
“Martindale, going into his visit on Saturday, was considered far & away the frontrunner,” reported SNY’s Connor Hughes.
“This hasn’t fallen apart (yet), but I don’t think he’s as much of a guarantee as it seemed a few days ago. Again: We’ll see. A lower profile coordinator, with Glenn calling the plays, is possible.”
It seems Glenn is warming up to the idea of keeping interim defensive coordinator Chris Harris and handling playcalling duties himself.
Aaron Glenn May Call Defensive Plays in 2026
To ensure his job security and to make sure the New York Jets are as competitive as possible next season, Glenn could take the defense into his own hands and call plays like he did during his days with the Detroit Lions.
“Coordinating candidates who spoke with the #Jets recently, per sources, came away from those conversations believing Aaron Glenn wanted to call the plays on defense,” continued Hughes.
“There is a growing belief among league circles that Chris Harris (DC) and Glenn (calling the plays) is a direction the Jets are warming up to.”
Glenn served as the Lions’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024, and the numbers aren’t the prettiest.
While the yards per game and points per game don’t look great in his first three years on the job, 2024 was a whole different story.
The Lions had at least 13 defenders on injured reserve throughout the season that year, including edge Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Despite that, they still finished as the seventh-best defense in the league according to Sumer Sports’ EPA/play, showing Glenn may have what it takes to coordinate a defense, especially one that’s undermanned.
If he wants to keep his job in 2026, he may have no other choice.
What Happened to Wink Martindale?
Throughout January, most New York Jets insiders pointed towards Martindale as the favorite to land the defensive coordinator gig.
But for whatever reason, the reporting has gone in the opposite direction, and it’s now looking more likely that Glenn will be spearheading the defense.
Maybe there was a concern about compatibility, after all, Martindale’s breakup with the New York Giants was well documented, and his relationship with Brian Daboll deteriorated fast.
Compatibility is something Glenn stressed about his coaching staff in one of his first interviews after landing the Jets job at the NFL combine just last year.
“Compatibility is sometimes as important as coachability. And that’s the one thing that I tried to do right when I was trying to assemble this staff,” Glenn told reporters.
“And I wanted to make sure I took my time in doing that because I want to make sure that every coach on this staff is going to give us the best chance to win and be able to coach the player, right?”
With Martindale’s compatibility with Glenn questionable at best, it makes sense that he’s putting his fate into his own hands when it comes to the defense in 2026.
Jets’ Aaron Glenn Close to Decision on Defensive Play Caller: Report