If Phillip Rivers can make a return to the NFL at 44 years old, why not Aaron Glenn at 53?

The New York Jets’ head coach “announced” his impending comeback heading into practice on Friday.

When the Indianapolis Colts announced that the former Pro Bowl signal-caller would be making a return to help them reach the playoffs in 2025, the rest of the league was shocked. Rivers has not played in a game since the 2020 season and was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

So why did the former Charger legend choose to come back? And will this kickstart a wave of 40-year-old players returning to the field?

If Glenn had his way, that would be the case.

Aaron Glenn returns to the field (sort of)

The last time Glenn took the field as a player was in 2008. At that time, Rivers was in his fifth year in the league and had already appeared in a conference championship game with San Diego.

Glenn was a legendary cornerback for the Jets, but his last year with the team came in 2001. After his eight-year run with Gang Green, he spent seven more seasons between the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints.

During his final NFL season, in 2008 with New Orleans, Glenn played his second-to-last professional game against Rivers and the Chargers, helping Drew Brees and the Saints pull off a 37-32 victory with three tackles.

Throughout his playing career, Glenn was consistently recognized as a Pro Bowl corner who could deliver jokes at just the right moment. That skill has translated to his head coaching career. Before practice on Friday, the first-year coach joked with reporters about a potential return to the field.

“Before I get into these injuries, I think it’s a huge announcement that you guys should hear. At 53 years old, I’ll be making a comeback,” Glenn joked to laughter. “I’ll be getting ready to play in a couple of weeks against (Stefon) Diggs and against (Khalil) Shakir in Buffalo.”

It’s good for a coach on a 3-10 team to have some sense of humor. It shows Glenn knows how to keep a roster loose despite all the difficulties they have dealt with.

While it’s obvious that we won’t be seeing Glenn hit the field again, there are signs that he’s beginning to improve as a coach. The Jets hope that those improvements will turn into more wins in the future.