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The Jets’ defensive coordinator search was filled with twists and turns.
First it looked like they were pursuing a veteran coordinator to run the defense, with Aaron Glenn continuing his CEO coach approach, with three coordinators running offense, defense and special teams.
Veteran coordinator Wink Martingdale seemed to be the leader in the clubhouse to be the DC at one point.
On January 24, SNY’s Connor Hughes, who has emerged as the preeminent Jets insider, announced, “Martindale let his interest in Jets vacancy be known back in December. Feeling reciprocated. Sources around the NFL in search of open coaching vacancies believed this was a matter of when, not if.”
Also on January 24, longtime Jets beatwriter Rich Cimini tweeted, “Martindale is in for another interview. He has been in touch with Glenn throughout the process, going back a few weeks. Things are trending in a positive direction.”
But then, the story took a sharp turn.
“In that meeting, Glenn told Martindale his plan was to call the plays himself — a change from his previous position, a source said,” Cimini reported.
On January 28, the Jets hired Brian Duker as defensive coordinator after one virtual meeting.
Duker worked with Glenn in Detroit.
What happened?
Why would you even interview Martindale if Glenn was going to call the defense himself?
There is speculation that Jets owner Woody Johnson was involved in the Jets pivoting to Glenn calling the defense himself.
Perhaps there was a financial element to this decision.
Martindale would not have come cheap, and perhaps Johnson had to eat some money with all the coaches he fired, mostly on defense.
And Glenn is making a tremendous amount of money. While the contract figures have never been made public, some people around the team think his deal was in the $10-11 million a year range for five years.
But you know what, objectively speaking, maybe Woody is right to make Glenn call the defense.
I know it’s open season on attacking Woody, but think about this for a second.
Glenn got the Jets job after four years as Detroit Lions defensive coordinator.
Before that he was the New Orleans Saints secondary coach for five years.
Obviously, he had a successful career as an NFL cornerback.
This guy made his bones on the defensive side of the ball.
So Johnson probably concluded that it’s absurd for him to go out and pay another defensive coordinator big bucks when Glenn was a defensive coordinator before he got to Florham Park.
Glenn wanted to be a CEO coach and take a 30,000-foot view on game day, and not focus mainly on one side of the ball. Let’s be honest, the game management last year was inconsistent, so what is the big deal if Glenn gets more involved in the defense?
I’m not being flippant.
He should improve a little in game management just from getting one year of doing it under his belt.
But it was a dubious decision to hire Steve Wilks and farm out the defense to him, especially since they never worked together.
If a defensive coordinator gets a head coaching job, but doesn’t want to call the defense so he can focus on managing the game, why would he hire somebody he never worked with who has his own playbook? Let’s be honest. That was an unusual hire.
So, you know what, if Woody decided – “Hell, Aaron needs to run the defense” – what is wrong with him saying that?
Just trying to call balls and strikes here, folks.
Perhaps this was the right call by the big guy.
February 16, 2026
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