Aaron Glenn’s latest answer on QB is most concerning one yet

As much as the New York Jets wanted new head coach Aaron Glenn to be different from his predecessors, nothing has changed.

The Jets, now 0-7 after a 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, have failed to build a cohesive plan or culture that can sustain competitiveness on a weekly basis. While their defense and special teams have improved recently, their offensive struggles have been too great to overcome.

Some fans point to the early difficulties endured by some of the elite coaches currently in the game, like Andy Reid, Dan Campbell, or Nick Sirianni, to prove Glenn will end up being okay. He is a first-year coach, after all.

But the longer the season progresses, the more startling things become for the Jets.

Glenn’s lack of feel as a first-time head coach is becoming apparent.

Glenn responds to QB controversy

It is very normal for first-time head coaches to go through something of a rookie wall. They are learning how to handle in-game decisions and manage an entire locker room at the same time.

For Glenn, though, his biggest issue right now is something he couldn’t have possibly prepared for.

As a former Pro Bowl cornerback and defensive coordinator, Glenn has worked almost exclusively on the defensive side of the ball. While he has pushed back on the notion of calling himself a “defensive-minded head coach,” he has never actually worked with a quarterback when it comes to game planning or development.

That lack of experience has come through in the worst possible ways this season.

During New York’s loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Glenn decided to bench starting quarterback Justin Fields. The move wasn’t much of a surprise—Fields failed to throw for over 100 yards for the third time this season, and the unit was getting progressively worse.

A day later, though, Glenn explained where he stood in his thought process regarding the quarterback situation. That included looking for outside help on the controversy ahead of him.

“It’s early on Monday, so I said this yesterday that there’s a lot of thought that goes into that, for me personally,” Glenn said. “Then being able to get with the staff, and then just being able to ask other coaches that have been in the situation, how would they handle that.

“So, I’m not running away from the question at all… I want to make sure I make the right decision, and I don’t want to make rash decisions either.”

On one hand, Glenn’s answer shows maturity. He is a coach who understands where he lacks experience, and he is looking for advice to find an answer.

On the other hand, the answer is a reminder of the main issue that came with hiring Glenn in the first place.

It’s arguably his most alarming answer yet.

Indecisiveness at quarterback

Getting the quarterback position right is the most important thing for Glenn and his current staff. If he can find a reliable signal-caller, the team will gradually improve as they grow together.

The problem Glenn is currently facing, though, is an indecisiveness on how to fix those current quarterback woes.

There’s nothing wrong with asking around the league for advice. But his lack of feel for the quarterback position points to a coach who not only may be in over his head but also doesn’t know how to evaluate the position.

If that is all true, what makes anyone think that Glenn should be part of the decision and development of a potential first-round signal-caller coming New York’s way?

Can anyone trust Glenn to develop the likes of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza? Dante Moore? Ty Simpson?

The fact of the matter is that the Jets put themselves in this position when they first hired Glenn. He had no offensive experience and no background in developing quarterbacks. As a defensive-minded individual, he must get the quarterback right to put himself in a position to succeed.

The fact that he acknowledged looking for outside advice around the league is publicly admitting he doesn’t have the answers the team needs to have.

If he doesn’t know now, what legitimate reason is there to believe he will ever learn?