The blast of past failures always falls on one man in New York, and this time it wasn’t Aaron Rodgers. Last season, after the team’s 2-3 start, the front office decided that Oct 8 was the time for change. The coaching bombshell had one logic: “Status quo is killer.” The headlines quickly picked up the fall of Year 4 HC Robert Saleh. “This morning, I informed [him] that he will no longer serve as the head coach of the Jets,” owner Woody Johnson declared—yet another abrupt exit in a franchise allergic to patience.
But was the situation truly dire enough to hand the keys to Jeff Ulbrich mid-campaign, or just another knee-jerk move in a long line of them? Even though we still do not have an answer to that yet, the gun is still pointed at Saleh’s head. If you go strictly by the numbers, the story doesn’t favor him. A record of 20-36 over three-plus seasons with zero winning years. It’s a stat line that often ends tenures, and for Robert Saleh, it did just that.
But even after the dust settled, the shots keep coming (this time on X). “There was such terrible coaching in New York last year,” ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum said. “Aaron Glenn is going to be Dan Campbell East in terms of penalties, turnovers, end of half scoring.” No punches pulled. The blow-by-blow comparison is live!
“There was such terrible coaching in New York last year, Aaron Glenn is going to be Dan Campbell East in terms of penalties, turnovers, end of half scoring.” – ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum.
— Dan Leberfeld (@jetswhispers) July 28, 2025
Aaron Glenn, who once manned Detroit‘s defense, was now part of the gold standard. Alongside Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson, Glenn helped spark a full-blown Lions resurrection. That trio delivered back-to-back NFC North titles, an NFC Championship berth, and a 15-3 regular season in 2024. Their defense, once a liability, had turned into a reliable unit. The franchise’s swagger? Fully restored.
But letting Saleh go didn’t plug every leak. Far from it. The Jets spiraled through chaos. Within 20 days, they fired a coach, demoted Nathaniel Hackett, traded for Davante Adams, and ended a contract standoff with Haason Reddick. A circus was still very much in town.
Looking for direction, the Jets made a bold move. They brought in the 33rd Team to help guide their future. Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman were tapped to lead the process. Their goal? Deliver a front office reboot backed by hard data and deep experience. A total reset was officially underway. The goal was simple: move on from Saleh as quickly as possible.
And now the buzz is about Aaron Glenn. He’s earning better reviews before even coaching a game in green. His Detroit credentials and culture-first mindset are giving this fractured franchise something it hasn’t had in years: hope. And now the question is…
Aaron Glenn vs Robert Saleh, who has a better resume?
Aaron Glenn wasted no time in making personalised edits in New York, backed by player appreciation. With his arrival, the 30-second firing tradition faced by Saleh continued—except when it came to the starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. It was a clean slate. In contrast, Robert Saleh inherited chaos. His first season began with a broken roster and the massive burden of a quarterback bust named Zach Wilson.
Despite the mess, Saleh did what he did best—build a dominant defense. The Jets were dismal in their debut season, but the defense transformed rapidly after that. Over the next three years, New York ranked fourth, third, and then second in total yards allowed. According to TruMedia, the Jets improved across the board—yards per game, red-zone stops, and third-down conversion rates. Those were top-tier numbers. It was a defense built in Saleh’s image. Speaking fairly, he did what he knew best.
Meanwhile, Glenn entered New York with a completely different offense-focused playbook. He was already ranked as the NFL’s top coordinator by the NFLPA last year. His reputation was so strong, teams lined up to get a shot at him. Even Dan Campbell had to speak up. “He’s as good of a coach as you’re going to find,” Campbell said. “He’s an even better human being. If nobody wants him, I’ll take him again, I can tell you that right now. But the thought of going through another cycle and he’s not somebody’s head coach, is ridiculous.”
Glenn’s Lions defense came out swinging in 2024. Detroit ranked top-3 in scoring defense through the first half of the season. And then came the setbacks. They lost five starters, and a total of 12 defensive players landed on injured reserve. Still, the unit didn’t fold. They saved their best for last, locking down the Vikings to just nine points and no touchdowns in the season finale. In a must-win game, Glenn’s playbook hit like a hammer.
Saleh may have been shown the door, but his defensive legacy remains. Glenn is now holding the pen and flipping the script.
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