The New York Jets moved quickly during the regular season to fire head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. Months later, New York came out of the NFL coaching carousel with two promising hires but they have reportedly received some mixed reviews from around the league.
Once New York fired Saleh as its head coach, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn immediately stood out as a likely replacement. He starred in a Jets’ uniform from 1994-2001 after being selected by the team as the 12th overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. Similar to Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, his history with the franchise and his high marks for his leadership and ability to build a culture made him an obvious choice for New York.
While many NFL analysts and Glenn’s former players and peers in the coaching world have praised the hire, that opinion reportedly isn’t shared league-wide.
Sportskeeda NFL insider Tony Pauline shared that most people he’s spoken to around the league have offered split opinions on the Jets’ decision. While some believe Glenn is a great fit, others are much more skeptical and the general consensus is a “wait and see” approach.
More interesting is the reaction to the Jets hiring Darren Mougey as general manager. Mougey, age 39, came up in the Denver Broncos organization and worked his way up the ladder for more than a decade. He progressively moved up from scouting intern (2021) to personnel & scouting assistant (2013) then area scout (2014-’19) before moving into a front office role in 2020. Over the last three seasons, he’s been the Broncos assistant general manager.
Notably, per Pauline, many around the NFL believe the Jets “dodged a bullet” with their decision at the top of football operations. Previously, Washington Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark seemed to be the front-runner for the position. He ultimately stayed in Washington and those familiar with his work dating back to the time with the Lions (1998-2023) called it ‘terrible.’
Interestingly, someone who Pauline spoke with from the Broncos organization called Mougey an “Adam Peters type”. Peters, now the Commanders general manager, was one of the most coveted GM candidates in the NFL for several years and it’s worth noting that Newmark was one of his first hires after landing with Washington.
Overall, there seems to be some optimism about the Jets’ process and the final result landing both Glenn and Mougey. While owner Woody Johnson still lingers over the franchise, a reset on the football side does offer some hope for the future.