Entering this offseason, it was difficult to find reasons to be optimistic about New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.

Coming off a three-win season after setting lofty expectations for his first year at the helm, many folks were hellbent on moving on from the head coach after just one season… myself included.

However, it’s important to document the growth and evolution both on and off the field that Glenn has shown this offseason.

Now, for what it’s worth, games aren’t being played. If the Jets get off to an ugly start once again, none of this is going to matter.

Despite that, though, it’s always crucial to give credit where credit is due, and we’re going to do just that today.

Glenn’s growth with the media

Starting with his introductory press conference, Glenn came in and tried to set the tone as a no-nonsense, hard-nosed football guy.

Essentially, he came in as a first-year head coach and tried to act like his mentor, Bill Parcells.

As he discovered right away, that model did not translate into victories. It’s an approach that people can get behind when the team is winning, but in Glenn’s case, where he started 0-7 and finished the year with three wins, that approach rubbed many fans the wrong way.

Since then, there has been a glaring shift in Glenn’s approach to the media.

From the NFL Combine on, he has been much more open with reporters and far less combative, which has ultimately boded well for his narrative. Glenn has taken accountability, set reasonable expectations, and avoided delivering quotable lines for the media to run with.

Once again, does that mean the Jets will be a playoff team this year? No, but it’s one of several areas where there has been notable growth from the head coach.

Coaching changes

Glenn overhauled his staff this offseason, bringing in two new coordinators while making a multitude of changes in the positional coach ranks.

I was fairly critical of his change at offensive coordinator, going from a young innovator in Tanner Engstrand to an older, less intriguing option in Frank Reich. However, I give Glenn credit for trying something new in multiple areas instead of staying stagnant and running it back with the same staff that helped win three games last season.

Outside of offensive coordinator, I am a fan of most of his hires. I think hiring Brian Duker as a non-play-calling DC was wise due to his connection to Glenn, while the addition of defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is arguably the team’s best coaching add of the offseason.

Offensively, tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts has a strong track record, while passing-game coordinator Seth Ryan worked under Ben Johnson with the Detroit Lions.

While I’m not the biggest fan of every move, Glenn’s adaptability and realization of his failures last year are promising on the surface.

QB shift

This one also applies to general manager Darren Mougey.

Entering last year, the Jets thought they could get away with an old-school ground-and-pound approach with little to no emphasis on the passing attack.

When the team signed Justin Fields, their mentality was to lean into his rushing ability and win games that way while worrying about the passing element later.

Glenn touted the 2024 Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, whose calling card was their rushing game. However, the difference in Jalen Hurts as a passer compared to Justin Fields is night and day.

Yes, the rushing game is very important in today’s NFL. However, as Jets fans have seen firsthand, if your quarterback is lackluster as a passer, you have no chance to succeed.

At the end of the day, it’s a passing league, and games are won and lost in that phase of the game.

The Jets quickly learned that lesson nine games into the season. They then applied that this offseason, taking a completely different approach to the quarterback position, acquiring Geno Smith.

As we’ve broken down ad nauseam, there are a multitude of reasons and nuances that Smith could very well bounce back with the Jets in 2026.

On the surface, though, he’s been one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league over the past few years, and he is a highly experienced pocket passer who has continued to thrive with a clean pocket.

If nothing else, Smith is an experienced quarterback who offers solid accuracy from the pocket. Save for 2024 Aaron Rodgers, who was a massive disappointment, the Jets haven’t even had that baseline in their quarterback since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015.

Glenn has made some encouraging changes to his approach this offseason compared to his first year. Ultimately, though, the changes have to translate to Sundays, or he will be looking for a new job.