Eyebrows were raised when it was reported ahead of the final weekend of August that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson was “doing his homework on” possibly replacing head coach Aaron Glenn with former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current NBC NFL analyst Mike Tomlin in January 2027.
It sounds like Glenn, Johnson and Jets general manager Darren Mougey are all on the same page ahead of the 2026 season.
Jets reporter responds to “baseless speculation” about Aaron Glenn
“There has been some baseless speculation that Johnson has already started looking into potential replacements for Glenn — he hasn’t,” Jets reporter Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared for an article published on Tuesday. “Don’t make any assumptions about how Johnson feels about Glenn’s job security. I’ve spoken with a number of people in the Jets building over the last few months — by all accounts, Johnson is on board with the plan that Glenn and Mougey have presented to him. Glenn’s pitch is to build something sustainable, and the Jets, at all levels, are trying not to skip any steps. Johnson has, so far at least, bought into that plan. Obviously, things can change if this season unravels as last year’s did.”
Rosenblatt was referencing how the Jets lost their first seven games last season, Glenn’s first as the team’s head coach. While Gang Green ended November with a record of 3-9, the Jets later suffered five double-digit defeats to end the season.
As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Jets tied for third among the betting favorites at +850 odds to finish the upcoming campaign with the fewest wins in the league. Meanwhile, one story from the final week of August claimed that Tomlin may want “to receive a piece of the team from Woody Johnson” to replace Glenn in early 2027.
What needs to happen for Aaron Glenn to remain employed by the Jets
“I don’t believe there is a set win total that would necessarily save or cost Glenn his job — it will all be about context,” Rosenblatt continued. “Can Glenn afford to win three games again? Probably not. However, if the Jets only win five or six games, but things look cleaner, Glenn improves on his deficiencies, the defense takes a leap, and it feels like they could get somewhere closer to contention with the right quarterback — that, among other factors, might be enough for him to stick around.”
Rosenblatt mentioned that “Johnson and Glenn have a very close relationship.” Rosenblatt also noted that “Johnson believes in Glenn and wants him to succeed.”
That’s all well and good on Sept. 1, but such feelings may prove to mean little regarding Glenn’s future if the Jets seem to be in the middle of yet another dumpster-fire season when Thanksgiving Day arrives. By then, Johnson could have a better idea about whether or not Tomlin would seriously consider serving as the Jets’ next head coach.
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