INDIANAPOLIS — Is Aaron Glenn about to save the New York Jets in a similar way Superman saves Metropolis, or Batman defeats villains in Gotham?
After Tuesday’s conversation with the head coach of Gang Green at the NFL Scouting Combine, that hope is certainly on the table.
Glenn confirmed to reporters in Indianapolis that he will call plays during the 2026 season, an important development in his tenure leading the Jets.
After a dismal 3-14 record in his debut season, many analysts expect Glenn to be on the hot seat in Year 2. A complete reshuffling of coaches was also seen as an alarming move.
But for all the outside pressure surrounding Glenn in 2026, the 53-year-old former cornerback remains upbeat about his team’s chances, especially with the defensive call sheet in his hands.
Glenn’s “superpower”
Many Jets fans are wondering what Glenn does well as a head coach.
Glenn believes he still has one trick up his sleeve. He’s set to use it this season.
“To me, play calling is my superpower, really,” Glenn said. “Doing it for four years in Detroit, and, man, just look at the maturation of those four years, of how we improved every year, and how I improved as a play caller. I really missed doing that. I think it’s a huge part of helping us become the team that I see us becoming.”
Glenn’s four seasons as Detroit’s defensive play-caller saw significant year-to-year improvement during his four-year run with the team. By his final season, the Lions ranked seventh-best in the NFL in points allowed.
It’s a far cry from what the Jets accomplished when Steve Wilks called plays last season. Gang Green was the second-worst team in points allowed, yielded the fourth-most rushing yards, and allowed a league-high 36 touchdown passes.
Even worse, the Jets became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without recording an interception. It was a shocking record set by the team of a head coach who made his career off interceptions.
At the end of the day, Glenn’s decision came down to doing the things he was always good at.
“I miss being able to talk to the MIKE linebacker, being able to be in the meeting room and try to put a game plan together,” Glenn told reporters in Indianapolis. “All those things came to me, and I’m excited for that opportunity.”
First-year jitters
Wait—if Glenn is confident in his ability as a play-caller, why didn’t he call plays when he was first hired by the team last year? Why didn’t Glenn take over play-calling duties at any point during New York’s three-win campaign?
After a full month of reflection, though, Glenn concluded that the decision not to call plays was simply a mistake, one he intends to correct this season.
“Being a first-time head coach, I really wanted to do it the right way,” Glenn told Jets X-Factor. “I felt like the best decision for me was to allow someone else to be able to do that, so I can manage the game.
“As the season progressed, I started to get the feeling I could still call plays and manage it just as well.”
Glenn believes he made many mistakes last season. His goal in 2026 is to correct those to put his team in a better position to succeed. One of those corrections, to him, will be calling plays.
And in the same way Superman saves his city or the Avengers save the world, Glenn hopes that unleashing his superpower could have a similar impact on the Jets going forward.
