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This isn’t a typical May story, like we’ve seen in the past, about how the latest Jets’ reboot is different and going to work
I have no idea if that is the case.
But it’s more about Aaron Glenn’s personality and leadership skills and how much it’s needed at 1 Jets Drive.
Watching several spring practices and how he operates on the practice field, he walks around, bouncing from drill to drill with a severe look on his face, like a man on a mission.
This isn’t a time for fun and games.
He’s not messing around.
He truly is a Bill Parcells/Sean Payton disciple.
No-nonsense – focused on what matters, and eschewing what doesn’t matter.
Parcells used to say he didn’t like to “chase windmills” as a coach. That is a line from the famous Spanish book Don Quixote.
Don’t waste your time on stupid stuff – focus on what matters.
Glenn is a serious coach with a serious job to do – turning around a team that has missed the playoffs 14 years in a row.
His seriousness also manifests itself in press conferences – he’s not going to buy into, or feed, frivolous narratives. He doesn’t have time or patience for that.
Robert Saleh is a wonderful man, but too often, he would be asked about stuff that has nothing to do with winning or losing, some frivolous media nonsense, and he would give the media what they were looking for, in long, drawn-out answers. Perhaps he’s a people pleaser.
Even in his relatively short time with the Jets, Glenn, on a few occasions, has shut down media narratives in press conferences that have nothing to do with what he’s trying to accomplish.
He was asked a question recently, about, guess what – Justin Fields’ personality – a very big topic these days.
Question: “With Justin Fields, how is he fitting in that way, we haven’t gotten to know him well yet, he seems like a pretty quiet, chill guy. What kind of a leader is he?”
Let’s cut to the last line of the answer:
“He is himself and he’s authentic, and he’s not going to change for nobody,’ Glenn said. “I’d rather have that than somebody that’s fake.”
Follow-up question: “Was that not a little bit like the way you were as a player? Quiet?”
Glenn: “You tell me, you were here when I was here.”
First of all, I don’t remember Glenn being that quiet. Secondly, what difference does it make if Fields’ personality is like Glenn’s as a player?
So Glenn gave a one-word answer, and wasn’t going to expound on something that has nothing to do with anything he’s trying to accomplish. He wasn’t going to chase a windmill.
Almost like Bill Belichick back in his heyday as a coach in New England during the Patriots’ championship run.
So the point here is simple – Glenn is focused like a laser on turning the Jets around, and has no time for frivolous stuff.
And I have not seen a coach in a long time around here walk around the practice field with this kind of intensity and focus.
Once again, we have no idea how any of this is going to turn out, but his demeanor and approach are needed at this time in Jets history. Big-time.
This is about turning around a struggling football team, not answering questions about whether you like pineapple on your pizza.
May 28, 2025
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