New York Jets won’t win until they stop romanticizing ‘the plan’

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

“Bro, let it go already.”

“Robby, why do you care so much? It would not have worked.”

Those are just a couple of the retorts flying my way after the mere mention of a guy named Aaron Rodgers. For those unaware, Rodgers has his Pittsburgh Steelers sitting pretty at 4-1, having thrown 1,021 yards and 10 touchdowns to 3 interceptions (68.1 completion percentage).

To answer the opening retorts, “No, I will not let it go, and there’s a critical reason why I care so much.”

The way the New York Jets handled the Rodgers situation was the ultimate litmus test when evaluating organizational health. While there’s no question of the Jets’ desire to win, is the overall decision-making coming from a purely on-field standpoint?

In other words, do the Jets unintentionally and/or unknowingly allow incremental influences to stand in the way, which create over-romanticized grand plans?

First, let’s take a step back. What does something “working” even look like? When one of the retorts is, “Come on, man; it never would have worked with Rodgers and the Jets,” what does that even mean?

If working is defined as a Rodgers-led Jets team winning the Super Bowl, then, sure, I agree; that would not have happened. If working is defined as a Rodgers-led Jets team making the playoffs, well, perhaps I agree. Maybe. I’m not exactly sure, and that’s the most significant point here.

Former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason believes they would currently be in the AFC playoff hunt with Rodgers at the helm. ESPN’s Rex Ryan also thinks that would be the case—providing the right coach is leading the way. (And no, Jets fans … that right coach is not Rex Ryan, no matter how intense the nostalgia and desperation may be.)

Nobody knows what would have or could have happened. What’s known for sure, however, is that the New York Jets would be a much better team with Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback. Much, much, much better.

That’s all that should matter.

By no means should this idea translate into the Jets acting irresponsibly financially (cap-wise). Let’s not totally live in the realm of absolutism. No matter how many people label the salary cap a myth, while often calling it wholly “fungible,” the NFL’s hard cap is a legitimate fact of professional football life.

Deciding to carry an aging quarterback at a massive cap hit raises serious questions. However, this is one of the cases that doesn’t exactly suffice as an undoubted cap-shedding situation.

Tricky and conversation-worthy? Oh yeah. Undoubtedly sound in that only one move is an option? No chance.

The Jets decided to take on $49 million of dead cap to jettison Rodgers from the Garden State. Throw Justin Fields’s $30 million in guarantees, and suddenly, the bill for that singular move is a hefty $79 million—which gets us into the range of what it would have cost to keep the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback who’s seemingly improving each week this season (a $23 million cap hit in 2025, with another $63 million thereafter, for a total of $86 million).

Yet, the gaslighting that has resulted in a “no-brainer” response when deciding Rodgers’s fate this past season has been all-time epic, and represents just one of the numerous talking points that live in the “nothing to do with winning football games” category.

To be fair, no matter what has happened up to this point in the season, there’s nothing fundamentally incorrect with opting for a quarterback-rushing strategy in the ilk of the Philadelphia Eagles or Baltimore Ravens. There’s also a strong case to be made for moving on from Rodgers while going in a distinctly different direction.

It’s wholly logical to understand Glenn’s gamble of hopping on the NFL’s quarterback-rushing evolution.

There’s just one matter at hand that must hold, for those previously mentioned ideas to remain logically sound: They must all be executed solely in the name of winning football games.

In the case of the New York Jets—and the nature of the noise created in the Rodgers era—the prior and/or existing noise raises serious doubts about the motivation behind some of their personnel decisions.

The following list represents stories, rumors, and/or reports that might be wholly factual, only somewhat factual, or could be totally fabricated. Where the truth lies is a matter of opinion at this point, but the strength of the noise, coupled with how everything has played out, warrants further discussion:

• Woody Johnson was the man responsible (or somewhat responsible) for wanting to move on from Aaron Rodgers, partly or mainly due to his “never been fired by a teenager” comments—something WFAN’s Boomer Esiason believes is the case.
• Due to Garrett Wilson‘s displeasure with the situation (Aaron Rodgers targeting Davante Adams more frequently), the Jets sided with their young star. Not only did they extend him, but they also signed Justin Fields, with the blessing of Wilson (notwithstanding Aaron Glenn’s interest).
• Aaron Glenn promised Justin Fields the Jets’ starting quarterback position. The Fields camp made it clear that his next team (via free agency) would have to grant him a clear path as the QB1. If Glenn did, indeed, promise him the starting position, it conflicts with his general messaging regarding competition. It also (unfortunately) makes fans think something like this is involved when Glenn refuses to replace Fields with Tyrod Taylor in Week 6’s brutal loss to the Denver Broncos.
• Aaron Glenn handled the Aaron Rodgers meeting terribly. If Rodgers’s story on The Pat McAfee Show is to be believed, Glenn’s reasoning for not wanting Rodgers was that he didn’t want him getting in the way of his message to the team. What evidence exists that Rodgers ever got in the way of a coach’s message? How is Mike Tomlin doing with him right now? While the notion is understandable, and while the Jets roster required a hefty dose of accountability and confrontation, such a hard-lined stance flies in the face of what actually wins in the modern NFL: strategy, particularly from an offensive perspective.
• The Jets intentionally did not interview specific head coaching candidates who would be interested in keeping Rodgers as the quarterback (i.e., Mike McCarthy), and they had the new regime move on from the now-Steelers signal-caller (something Esiason also believes is the case).
• The Jets buried news of candidates who were not interested in even interviewing for the job (i.e., Ben Johnson). For an organization that continuously hires first-time defensive-minded head coaches, why is it important to hide rejection from the world? Instead, commit to the rejection while signaling to the entire league that, “Yes, we were interested in Ben Johnson, an offensive-minded strategist, but he turned us down.” It’s this strategy that lets the entire league know where your priorities lie, and it allows other potential offensive-minded strategists to understand that the Jets are finally “in the game,” thinking about employing an offensive-minded sideline boss.
• The Jets made a deal with Mike Tannenbaum’s The 33rd Team, primarily for marketing purposes, rather than simply naming the individuals who would spearhead the coaching search.
• Despite his clear candidacy strengths and genuine head-coaching candidacy placement among NFL circles, the Jets figured that Glenn having played for the Jets was the icing on the cake. It would hype up the fans in a reasonable manner and bring a sense of perfection that no competing candidate could match.

Again, nobody is claiming any of the above items are true. No one is claiming that all of these items are fabricated, either. The list represents a conglomeration of noise, reports, rumors, and ideas that have accumulated in the Jets’ world over the last year or so.

If any of these items are even slightly factual, the New York Jets are making personnel moves based on more than purely winning on the football field. Worse yet, thanks to the way Aaron Rodgers often breaks down rational thinking, the fact that Mike Tannenbaum’s name evokes nostalgic bliss, and the fact that Aaron Glenn is a former Jet himself, the fans allowed these decisions to be made without 20/20 vision.

Think about it: In what world does a head coach who knows what he’s doing willingly dish out $49 million to kick a Hall of Fame quarterback to the side, in exchange for a guy who cannot read the field? In what world does any competent head coach say, “Yes, Justin Fields gives me a better chance to win football games than Aaron Rodgers.”

Such a world can be found, no doubt, but it’s one where the odds are far less desirable.

After the Jets’ latest disaster—a 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London—Glenn mentioned the importance of building a strong foundation. Moreover, he proclaimed how ownership is precisely aware of this necessity.

The initial question: Is Aaron Glenn leaning on this “strong foundation” idea in a counterintuitive fashion?

Broad question: What is the best way to build this foundation, exactly?

My answer: Winning football games. Yet, in the case of the Jets’ 2025 offseason, far too many moves resulted in a lesser roster (i.e., Aaron Roders, Davante Adams, D.J. Reed, etc.).

Time and again, the Jets organization (and subsequently, their fans) far too often romanticize “the plan.” A symbol of hope arrives, only for that very same symbol to fall flat on his face.

What comes next?

That symbol must be quickly brushed aside for the following symbol to show face, so “the plan” can be constructed in one’s mind.

Forget Rodgers for a moment and think further back. Sam Darnold once represented this symbol. Then it was Joe Douglas, Robert Saleh, and Zach Wilson. Now, it’s Aaron Glenn and everything he so unapologetically believes.

Unfortunately for the Jets and their fans, the new plan doesn’t fit with what wins these days.

Gone are the days of the motivational head coach ruling the league. Just casually evaluate which teams are having success this year.

Ben Johnson is already doing solid things in Chicago, Liam Coen has the Jacksonville Jaguars flying, and Shane Steichen’s Indianapolis Colts have taken the league by storm—with failed New York Giants’ top-10 pick Daniel Jones leading the way. Even the Jets’ next opponent, the Carolina Panthers, is sitting pretty at 3-3 with Dave Canales (yet another offensive-minded head coach) at the helm.

Worse yet, consider the depths of the Baltimore Ravens’ struggles once the defense isn’t stout. (Remember, this is the Glenn-Fields model, one that requires everything else, depth chart-wise, to be supremely buttoned-up.)

The motivator archetype isn’t where the modern NFL’s bread is buttered anymore. It’s instead the strategist that rules the roost—particularly from an offensive viewpoint. And yet, once again, the Jets organization was sold by a motivational-type head coaching candidate in the interview process (hint, hint: Saleh).

How? Why? Does it have everything to do with what wins in today’s league, or are other influences at play? Could Glenn’s past as a former Jet have had any impact whatsoever? It surely impacted how quickly Jets fans accepted him into the fold.

Or, could it simply be about allowing innocent yet intrusive factors to influence certain decisions that should only be made based on winning football games in this wacky new football land? It’s this essential awareness that guides football teams and their fans to romanticize the plan.

If that plan contrasts with the true needle-mover in today’s quarterback-driven, offensively deceptive, and situationally smart play-calling league, well, then … forget about it. Darkness creeps in from all directions.

What the New York Jets need is a complete overhaul of their mindset and vision.

Forget about peripheral influences. Bury the symbols of hope that have disappointed the masses greatly. Don’t sweat how any single individual in this league views you.

Begin making decisions purely based on winning football games, as opposed to envisioning a grand plan that neatly fits wholesome narratives (i.e., the very bad man in Aaron Rodgers is gone, replaced by Jets legend Aaron Glenn, who will properly coach splendid youngsters in Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner). Before that, ensure you have a thorough understanding of what factors mainly contribute to winning football games in today’s league.

Sure, the New York Jets are trying to win football games—as nobody has the goods to argue against that sentiment—but they’re also trying to have their cake while eating it.

More often than not, properly eating the cake (winning) happens imperfectly (the way you would have least expected it).