Aaron Glenn's Concerning Comments Could Give Jets Even More Fuel to Fire Him

It's important for an NFL head coach to always seem prepared for any situation. The moment a coach is open to the pressures of the job is normally a sign that things may be a bit too much for the leader of the organization.

There are, of course, outliers to that rule. All-time great coaches like Vince Lombardi and Sean McVay have spoken out about the complexities of their job.

"I think what you realize is how hard this league is. How volatile it is. And perspective is everything," McVay said before the season started (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael Davis Smith).

The job is hard for any coach to handle, but the great ones are able to do it and guide their teams to wins. The bad ones are unable to do so. For the Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn, it seems they are more on the latter side of that conundrum.

And some of Glenn's Week 8 comments don't necessarily help matters.

Aaron Glenn raises concerns after opening up about new responsibilities

Before his second season as head coach began, Glenn had decided to take on more responsibility as a head coach. He also became the team's defensive play-caller in a move he felt would better connect him to the game.

So far, while the Jets' defense has improved, the coaching mismanagement has been an issue no one can ignore. From not taking timeouts in key two-minute situations to challenging low-impact calls on the field, Glenn has struggled with the wide-ranging responsibilities of his job.

Is the coach in over his head? Is there too much on his plate? That's something he answered before practice on Wednesday.

"I wouldn't say that. I could see how you would say that. And it's not easy—I'll be upfront and tell you that—but it's my job to try to make sure these things happen, and I'm going to put the stress on me to be able to do that," Glenn said.

There will be critics who point to this answer as evidence that Glenn may not be the right fit for a head coaching job in the NFL. He may be best suited as a coordinator or top assistant on a staff, much like he was in Detroit.

But his admission is something that also highlights some of the things the Jets failed to notice when they hired him in the first place.

Another reason to turn the page

When hiring a head coach, New York has looked for culture setters—people who can command respect from a locker room and get them to play hard. The Jets haven't looked for schematic talents or people who can create a system to get the most out of the talent they have.

In doing so, the "culture-setters" make in-game calls based on feelings instead of sound logic.

It's one of the many reasons Glenn seems so inconsistent at times. Some scenarios he'll be ultra-aggressive, while other times show a passive side.

The numbers are what they are. Glenn is 5-19 as a head coach in the year and a half on the job. He's also failed to win a division game in that stretch. The optics surrounding his answer Wednesday nearly prove the coach is struggling to balance the difficult roles a head coach must deal with.

If Glenn is going to save his job, the Jets coach will need to turn those struggles into success stories... and fast.

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