Jet Face Intriguing Crossroads When Deciding Aaron Glenn's Potential Replacement

If Gang Green moves on, there are a few paths to consider.

Aaron Glenn needs to be replaced as the Jets' head coach, but what should his successor look like? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In three months' time, the Jets appear to be on the path to searching for a new coaching staff. The Aaron Glenn era, however positive it started, will end in a disappointing two-year run with the team.

Where owner Woody Johnson goes from here, though, will be a question.

The Jets have struggled to find the right coach to turn around their struggling franchise. While the team has focused heavily on defensive-minded coaches to instill a culture, the designs of those plans haven't worked out.

It leads to significant change on the horizon. Armed with three first-round picks in the 2027 draft and over $80 million in cap space, the Jets have plenty of resources to improve the team right away. Where the team goes for a new coach, though, can be divided into two clear plans:

Experienced coaches like Mike Tomlin or Sean McDermott, or young offensive innovators like Declan Doyle and Klay Kubiak.

Option #1 for Jets: The veteran route

A majority of Jets fans and executives are still chasing the success Bill Parcells once brought to the organization. As a former Super Bowl-winning coach prior to his arrival, Parcells instilled a culture that helped the team build toward a conference title appearance.

But it's been nearly three decades since his retirement. Instead, Jets fans are hoping for another quality, experienced mind to come in and do the same thing Parcells did before. The top veteran names consist of Tomlin and McDermott: both are playoff-winning coaches who left their former teams for clear reasons.

In the case of Tomlin, a record run of zero losing seasons overshadowed what had been 10 years without a playoff win for the Steelers. In McDermott's case, his inability to get past the conference title game sunk his efforts in Buffalo.

If the Jets were to go the veteran coaching route, it would mean that either leader would be expected to win right away. That leads us to another key point.

New York's "win now" goals open the moment either veteran coach is hired. While the team could still draft a quarterback in a talented 2027 class, Tomlin or McDermott could simply look to trade some of their first-round picks for a veteran signal-caller with years of success.

It's hard to envision which quarterbacks would be on the open market now, but if Tomlin were able to bring Lamar Jackson in a trade from Baltimore for multiple firsts, or McDermott tries to land Justin Herbert from Los Angeles, would the team instantly become a playoff contender? How many firsts would be required to add a veteran like these on the open market?

The veteran shift would be something the team has already tried to do once with Aaron Rodgers. But with an experienced coach, it could shift the odds in New York's favor.

We're still months away from any of this happening, though. McDermott and Tomlin could both spurn the Jets, and any veteran signal-caller would balk at the idea of a trade to Florham Park following that. But the option is there for Johnson to see.

It's also only one path, though.

Option #2 for Jets: Young and inexperienced

Take a look at the Jets' coaching hires since 2000, and what do you see? Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles, Robert Saleh, and Glenn are all defensive-minded individuals focused on culture. Adam Gase was the lone offensive-minded play-caller, but he came with clear baggage and off a promise from Peyton Manning.

If the Jets are truly going to turn around their team for years, they must target a young, offensive-minded coach with a history of developing young quarterbacks. Names like Klay Kubiak or Grant Udinski have spent several years as quality assistants and understand how the modern game moves.

Should the Jets go this route, it seems like a foregone conclusion that they will take a quarterback in the first round of the 2027 draft and pair him with the head coach who can call plays. This is the model that has worked for Super Bowl teams across NFL history, especially in the last 10 years.

New York won't have to play the rookie quarterback right away, but it would be a step that shows both ownership and the organization understand they need to get with the times. They need coaches who can scheme offensive points together and have a veteran defensive coach who isn't going to leave for another head coaching job.

Would Jets fans be happy if the team hired Udinski as head coach, brought Jim Schwartz to run their defense, and drafted C.J. Carr in the first round? Chances are, they would be better set up for success than they have been in years.

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