New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has built his reputation on the defensive side of the ball.
Defense has long been Glenn's calling card. After helping build one of the NFL's top defenses in Detroit as the Lions' defensive coordinator, he will now look to replicate that success in New York.
The Jets fell well short of expectations during Glenn's first season as head coach.
However, entering his second season in New York, Glenn will have the headset on, calling plays for what many believe will be an improved defense.
Aaron Glenn embraces defensive play-calling
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
During Jets training camp practice, Glenn was asked what excites him about calling defensive plays this season.
“When there’s an issue on defense, I can quickly fix it, because I know the defense like the back of my hand. And that feels really, really good,” Glenn said. “To be able to coach everybody from D-line (defensive line) to linebackers, DBs (defensive backs)...to be able to be really specific and say, ‘This is what I’m looking for,’ and that I want to go. Then the players respond to that and know exactly what that is, which feels really good to be able to do. That said, I missed doing that before.”
Jets hoping defensive changes pay off
After spending much of the offseason retooling their defense and bringing in key personnel, the Jets are hoping they’ll be able to turn things around in 2026.
The team has bulked up their defensive line adding David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick, a player who seems to be turning heads in training camp, and added veteran leadership with Demario Davis.
The Jets found themselves near the bottom of the league in nearly every defensive category last year, including breaking an NFL record by recording zero interceptions in 2025.
With Glenn taking over defensive play-calling, the Jets believe they can take a significant step forward with their defense.
Glenn referred to play-calling as his superpower, and Jets fans are hoping they’ll see why during the 2026 season.
