Smart moves? No drama? What has happened to the New York Jets?

Boston Globe

6 days ago

The Patriots, with the addition of
Mike Vrabel
and big splashes in free agency, are a popular pick to make a big leap in 2025, finish second in the AFC East, and make a run at the playoffs. But the Jets, tied with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres for the longest playoff drought in the major North American pro sports (14 seasons), are another team with a first-year coach who could make a big improvement.
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It starts with Glenn, who spent the last four years as the Lions' defensive coordinator. He's the latest in a line of first-time head coaches for the Jets, including
Robert Saleh
(2021-24),
Todd Bowles
(2015-18),
Rex Ryan
(2009-14), and
Eric Mangini
(2006-08). But Glenn has a few attributes that could help him avoid the pratfalls that usually come with coaching for the Jets.
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Glenn is the rare coach with deep Jets ties. A former cornerback, Glenn was the team's first-round pick in 1994, helped turn around the Jets from 1-15 to the AFC Championship game, and learned at the foot of
Bill Parcells
. Few people have experienced a turnaround with the Jets, but Glenn is one.
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Many of Glenn's beliefs and philosophies come from Parcells. Glenn was terrible for the New York tabloids this spring, saying little of consequence that would garner a splashy headline on the back pages.
'I'm a huge believer in just moving in silence,' Glenn recently told the Jets' website. 'There doesn't need to be a big hoopla of what we're doing. We just want to go about our business and coach these players and try to create an atmosphere for them that's totally different than what they've been used to.'
Discarding
Aaron
Rodgers
after two disappointing seasons, and replacing him with
Justin
Fields
and
Tyrod Taylor
, should minimize most of the Jets' drama. Neither quarterback is the long-term answer, but neither will create headaches, either.
But the Jets under Glenn and Mougey are off to a solid start. The biggest move was getting both of their star players signed before training camp begins. Cornerback
Sauce Gardner
and wide receiver
Garrett Wilson
each had two years left on their rookie contracts, but this offseason became eligible for their first extensions.
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The Jets of the last 10 years would have let Gardner and Wilson play out their rookie contracts, letting anxiety and negativity fester. Or owner
Woody Johnson's
son would have recommended trading one of them based on their Madden rankings. And Rodgers would have blasted Jets management on McAfee's show.
Instead, the Jets quietly took care of their homegrown players and eliminated all distractions heading into camp. Gardner
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'The Jets are going to go into this thing where two of their top players are under contract, everybody's feeling good and happy and paid, and now you get to focus on what's really important, the game of football,' Woody said. 'That's what smart franchises do.'
Smart? The Jets, the team whose 56-108 record the last 10 years is second worst in the NFL? Yet take the name away, and it's easy to like what they are building.
In addition to locking up Gardner and Wilson, the Jets have made heavy investments in the offensive line, with three recent first-round picks and one second-rounder. The Jets also have a deep stable of running backs, an athletic scrambler in Fields, and a talented defense. The Jets ranked 32nd in rushing attempts last year with Rodgers calling the shots, but probably will be a rush-first attack in 2025.
'The Jets definitely got talent on their roster on both sides of the ball,' Woody said. 'This is the Jets' formula: They are going to look to establish the run, be physical, run the football, play-action, play good defense, and play smart. That's going to be the Jets' calling card this year.'
It looks good on paper — certainly a more coherent plan than what the Jets have trotted out the last several years. But the Jets still have two major questions. One is Fields, who has a 14-30 record in four seasons with the Bears and Steelers. Fields has struggled from the pocket and last year averaged just 110 passing yards per game before getting benched.
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The other question is Glenn, and whether he can stave off the dysfunction that swallowed up many good coaches before him in Florham Park. But expectations are low for the Jets, and Glenn seems happy to build his program quietly and without drama.
'When you've been as inept as the Jets have been for quite some time, it's kind of like turning around the Titanic,' Woody said. 'But if there's a guy that's able to do it, it's Aaron Glenn, because he understands the organization. He uniquely understands what he's walking into.'
The Jets locked up cornerback Sauce Gardner with a four-year, $120 million extension.
Steve Luciano/Associated Press
ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION
Howell's departure
good sign for union
Unsolicited advice to the leadership at the NFL Players Association, following
Lloyd Howell's
In June 2023, the NFLPA made a surprise announcement that Howell, an executive from Booz Allen Hamilton, a global technology and consulting firm, with no NFL experience, would succeed
DeMaurice Smith
as executive director.
It came after NFLPA leaders changed the union's bylaws the year before to allow them to conduct the process in secrecy — not just to the public and media, but to
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Then-president
JC Tretter
said the changes in bylaws were made to prevent 'the media' from influencing decisions. But Howell's selection looked a lot like a quid pro quo for Tretter, who remained in a newly created position of 'chief strategy officer' after his tenure ended in 2024.
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The result was a disaster, and predictable. A month after Howell was hired, players were surprised to learn that Booz Allen Hamilton paid $377 million to the federal government to settle a lawsuit for overcharging during a period when Howell was chief financial officer.
And a tidal wave of information came out about Howell over the last two weeks from ESPN. Players were unaware that Howell and the union agreed to conceal
The momentum against Howell became too much, and he stepped aside after two years on the job.
The NFL collective bargaining agreement doesn't expire until the spring of 2031, so there shouldn't be urgency to hire a new executive director without first doing a thorough search. Names to consider are former NFLPA president
Domonique Foxworth
, former Patriot and longtime NFLPA executive
Don Davis
, former Colts receiver and US Representative
Anthony Gonzalez
, and Miami-based attorney
Brad Sohn
.
The lesson from the Howell experience is that transparency — with the players as well as the public — is the route to the best result. Let's see if the NFLPA learned it.
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Late Thursday night, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell tenured his immediate resignation of duties, stepping away after two years in charge of the players' union.
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ETC.
Belichick outburst
did him no favors
Bill Belichick
may have thought he was helping himself by issuing a lengthy statement to
Robert Kraft
. But Belichick's latest outburst did him no favors.
Boy, did he come across as sensitive and petty.
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Kraft, appearing on
Julian Edelman
and
Rob Gronkowski's
podcast, said he took a 'big risk' in hiring Belichick in 2000, 'and we did OK,' he boasted. This should have been an easy one for Belichick to let go. Kraft has used that line dozens if not hundreds of times over the years. It's part of his shtick. His phrasing was innocuous and hardly worthy of a full-throated response.
Belichick's long retort came off as extremely thin-skinned. The relationship between these two must be worse than ever. Belichick took some undeserved shots from Kraft in
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But Belichick is the one rewriting history. Belichick says he is the one who 'took a big risk' by taking the Patriots' job? Belichick wasn't exactly in high demand after going 36-44 with the Browns, and he lost out on the Raiders job to
Jon Gruden
. Kraft, though, did take a risk in trading a first-round pick for a sub-.500 coach with a dull demeanor at the podium.
Another questionable claim: Belichick in 2000 took over a Patriots franchise that had 'dismantled' their 1996 Super Bowl team and 'became one of the worst in the AFC'? They went 10-6, 9-7, and 8-8 in three years under
Pete Carroll
, and only bottomed out at 5-11 after Belichick took over. Belichick in 2000 also inherited several players from the 1996 team, including
Drew Bledsoe
,
Troy Brown
,
Terry Glenn
,
Tedy Bruschi
,
Ty Law
,
Lawyer Milloy
,
Willie McGinest
,
Ted Johnson
, and
Adam Vinatieri
.
And while Van Natta, not Belichick, wrote that the Patriots ranked 31st out of 32 teams in spending since 1994, that stat has Belichick's fingerprints all over it. It also warrants a fact check since the Panthers and Jaguars didn't exist until 1995, the Ravens until 1996, the Browns didn't play from 1996-98, and the Texans didn't exist until 2002. Unfortunately, accurate cash spending data from the last 30 years is difficult to find.
Belichick spent 25 years ignoring the noise, staying above the fray, and cultivating an image as a cunning, unflappable genius. A rapid transformation into the sensitive, media-hungry Belichick in the last six months is a surprising turn that is damaging his legacy.
By the rule of law
The NFL recently finalized its 2025 Official Playing Rules, reflecting all the changes that the owners voted on at their meetings in March and May (no, the Tush Push was not banned).
There was plenty of ink about the few notable changes: Kickoff touchbacks now will be moved to the 35; both teams now will get a possession in overtime in the regular season (but the clock is a hard 10 minutes); and instant replay officials in the booth or New York can tell the referee to pick up a penalty flag for fouls such as hits to the head, tripping, and horse collar if there is obvious video evidence revealing a mistake.
Two rules that got little to no ink:
⋅ The catch rule was again clarified, as 'tuck the ball away and turn upfield' is now written explicitly as a common football move adequate for a catch.
⋅ Officials are instructed to whistle a play dead when a quarterback simulates dropping to his knee behind 'or beyond' the line of scrimmage. A league office source said 'or beyond' was just added to make the rule more precise and consistent, but it does seem like the NFL is attempting to stamp out the fake slide that
Patrick Mahomes
and others have weaponized.
Bridgewater's support won't go away
Teddy Bridgewater
is a hero for the kids of Miami Northwestern High, an inner-city school where most students don't come from much. Bridgewater returned to his alma mater last year to coach the football team, leading the Bulls to the Class 3A title and spending thousands of his own dollars on his players for Uber rides, meals, and recovery services.
But Bridgewater's generosity ran afoul of the state high school association's rules on improper benefits, and Bridgewater said he has been suspended by the school district after self-reporting the information.
The rules are there for a reason, but this is a case where sane minds should come together to find a way for Bridgewater to continue to support the players. Regardless, Bridgewater, 32, said he's not abandoning the program.
'And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem,' he wrote on social media.
Bridgewater's generosity to his alma mater ran afoul of the state high school association's rules on improper benefits, and Bridgewater said he has been suspended by the school district after self-reporting the information.
Seth Wenig/Associated Press
Extra points
Shemar Stewart
, the No. 17 overall pick, is working out at Texas A&M as he continues to haggle with the Bengals over contract language concerning his guarantees. The inference is that he is considering holding out the entire season and reentering the draft in 2026, but Stewart would be costing himself millions of dollars plus eight months of bad publicity. Stewart can't be fined for skipping camp because he is unsigned, but he would be smart to get it resolved during training camp … The Commanders under new owner
Josh Harris
keep making slam-dunk moves to connect with their once-dormant fan base, from retiring the jersey numbers of franchise legends
Darrell Green
and
Art Monk
to unveiling 1980s-era throwback uniforms to attempting to return the team to the site of RFK Stadium. It's amazing that
Dan Snyder
could never figure any of this out over 25 years … If
Terry McLaurin
,
Trey Hendrickson
or anyone else under contract doesn't report on time to training camp, the CBA mandates that teams fine them $50,000 for every day they skip. That's why the 49ers'
Jauan Jennings
, who wants a raise from $7.5 million, already said he won't be holding out. The 'hold in' is the popular tactic today … Vikings receiver
Jordan Addison
and Chiefs receiver
Rashee Rice
face suspensions to start the season after having their legal cases adjudicated. Addison pleaded to a lesser charge in a DUI case, and Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a high-speed hit-and-run in Dallas … The Chargers have eight uniform combinations for 2025, and look fantastic in all of them. The navy blue is the best … Former Saints tight end
Jimmy Graham
recently won a title with a different team, rowing 584 nautical miles across the Arctic Ocean to complete the Arctic Challenge in 15 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, a record for a team of four.
Ben Volin can be reached at