For those hoping that the New York Jets are planning on relieving Aaron Glenn of his head coaching duties less than a year after he was appointed to the role, prepare to be disappointed.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer poured ice-cold water on those hopes with a clear distinction: Glenn isn’t going anywhere.

“Here’s the reality of the Jets’ situation: There has been no discussion at the upper reaches of the organization about moving on from Aaron Glenn after one year,” Breer wrote. “And while some people would warn that Woody Johnson could quickly turn with another embarrassing Sunday at the office, I’d be pretty surprised if that happens.”

It’s caused fans to go into an uproar. New York is 3-13, and many metrics indicate that Glenn has been worse than every recent one-and-done coach around the NFL.

As bad as things have been, though, and as angry as fans may be, no one should be shocked by the latest news.

Glenn was never going anywhere

The idea that Glenn could be fired after his very first season was always a pipe dream. It never made sense based on where the Jets are, what they want to be, and the context of this season.

Entering 2025, the Jets were coming off a five-win season with Aaron Rodgers and a mid-season firing of their head coach. Team owner Woody Johnson was always going to have low expectations for Glenn in his debut season.

Did anyone expect the Jets to be this bad? Of course not. They are one of the worst teams in football this year, and among the worst teams in Jets history.

But optics have always mattered to Johnson. It would be a terrible look in NFL circles if he fired Saleh after just five games in 2024, only to fire Glenn after a single season. Fans may not want to hear it, but they aren’t the ones who have to deal with the ramifications of firing a coach.

The optics would be even worse for New York if they dump Glenn after their trade deadline fire sale. All-Pro talents Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner were shipped away for a haul of future draft picks.

Following their deadline moves, the Jets have eight selections within the first two rounds of the next two drafts. That kind of capital is rare to find in NFL history; it is the richest haul in the league at the moment. And the decision to acquire those picks was made with Glenn leading the regime.

From Johnson’s perspective, it would be an awful look if he got rid of Glenn without allowing him to see his plan at least partially through. Allowing Glenn’s plan to play out is the kind of patience that other coaches around the league will notice.

Glenn was never going to be fired as head coach during or after the 2025 season. Simply put, having four head coaches in three years isn’t in the cards for Johnson. Fans who thought otherwise were stuck on wishful thinking rather than accepting reality.

That also doesn’t take away from the pressure on Glenn. A 3-13 mark with one of the worst point differentials in team history isn’t easy to bounce back from.

Just because he was safe in 2025, it doesn’t mean he will be in 2026.