At 2-8, Aaron Glenn is tired of losing and is ready to make whatever change(s) necessary to improve the Jets' chances of victory moving forward.
Those changes could include quarterback.
"You know what? I'm evaluating everything, to be honest with you," Glenn said Friday, via the Associated Press. "I'm evaluating myself, the players, schematics, coaches, I'm evaluating everything. So, I don't want to just place everything on that, that one situation. I'm just looking at everything, because as a head coach, that's my job, to make sure that I put this team in the best position to go win games."
Ah, the dreaded "evaluating everything" claim. It often comes from the lips of a coach who is feeling the pressure that accompanies frequent losses. The other coach in New York, the since-fired Giants coach Brian Daboll, made the same statement in September when asked if he might make a change under center.
Two days later, Daboll benched Russell Wilson in favor of Jaxson Dart.
It's not a 1-to-1 comparison because the surrounding circumstances differ. Daboll was on the hot seat entering 2025, his fourth season at the helm of the Giants. He also had the luxury of trading old for new when he benched the 36-year-old Wilson for a rookie first-rounder in Dart.
Glenn, meanwhile, is in his first season as Jets coach and is contemplating shifting from a younger signal-caller in Justin Fields -- who is under contract through 2026 -- to a veteran backup in Tyrod Taylor who, while reliable, does not carry long-term potential with his team.
If one needs an example of how much the business of the NFL depends on results, it's right here. Glenn is clearly frustrated with his team's struggles and is desperate for a spark, especially after their collective miscues doomed them in an otherwise competitive game in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Thursday night.
To Fields' credit, he made some positive plays. Designed runs worked well for the Jets early in the game, helping power an impressive opening scoring drive that ended in a Fields rushing score. The Ohio State product also fired a handful of remarkably accurate passes, though most were dropped by his intended targets on a night in which one pass-catcher, recently acquired receiver Adonai Mitchell, struggled significantly.
Glenn acknowledged Fields' contributions, saying the quarterback "did some good things" in the 27-14 loss to the Patriots. But some good things might not be enough.
"Obviously, we've got to do a better job in the passing game, and that has a lot to do with Justin getting the ball to the right guys," Glenn said. "And also the guys, when they do get a chance to get the ball, that they make those plays."
In most cases, the Jets are failing to make such plays. Fields is not without fault, either; He's consistently ranked near or at the bottom of NFL.com's QB Index this season because he's fallen painfully short of the standard for NFL quarterbacks as a passer and has struggled with ball security while leading an offense that simply doesn't threaten most defenses.
"Not good enough," Fields said Thursday night after the loss to the Patriots. "You know, we lost the game, so wasn't good enough. Every time we lose, my performance isn't good enough."
Even in their most recent win, a 27-20 triumph over the Cleveland Browns, Fields completed just 6 of 11 passes for 54 yards, one touchdown (via a screen pass and long run after the catch by running back Breece Hall) and one ghastly interception that led to a Browns score. The Jets could thank their special teams, which accounted for two return touchdowns, for that victory.
When Taylor last saw action as a starter, New York's offense looked the best it has all season, battling with the superior Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 29-27 defeat way back in Week 3.
At minimum, given a week to prepare as the starter, Taylor might increase the Jets' odds of victory. In a 2-8 season, that can go a long way for a team all but guaranteed to miss the postseason.
"I think you hear that quite a bit when you get these quarterback changes is, 'Man, I'm trying to get a spark for the team,'" Glenn said. "But to me, it's more or less, man, I'm trying to make the best decision to give our guys a chance to win because to me, a spark is really a short-term deal. And I don't know if this is what other coaches' decisions are, but, man, I want to make a decision to give us a chance to win."
We'll see if it's truly as simple as Glenn explained it Friday.
