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On March 31, 2025, Sports Business Journal reported that 170 of the N.Y. Jets’ 250 employees were offered buyouts.
The authors of the story, Ben Fisher and Terry Lefton, citing sources, reported, “Management’s motivation is cultural, not financial.”
So, some might argue, the buyouts have had no tangible impact on the Jets’ culture.
On Sunday, the Jets dropped to 3-11, getting blown out by Jacksonville 48-20.
Like the Jets, the Jaguars have a rookie head coach and GM, and they are 10-4 and along, wtih executive Tony Boselli, have turned around the Jags broken culture.
So far under their new regime, and post-buyouts, the Jets’ culture has not transformed . . .
LB Jamien Sherwood and LB Quincy Williams were the Jets’ game captains today.
Both are good men, but neither played well today, and are examples of some personnel miscalculations by Aaron Glenn in his first year running the Jets football operation. Captains should be players playing well; otherwise, those captaincies send the wrong message.
“The Jets have two linebackers not playing well,” said Jaguars radio analyst Jeff Lageman, a former Jets player, during the game.
Sometimes, especially with this team, you need people from other markets to point out the Jets’ issues.
The Jets are 3-11, and if you were to give a record to the coverage of this team, it would be something like 3-11 as well.
Glenn deserves a lot of criticism for the Sherwood contract.
He inherited Williams’ contract, and it’s not that pricey, so he decided to roll with him and see what he could do with this fast, tough linebacker. It’s not working out that well.
Once again, I will turn back to Lageman, but you won’t get this stuff in the New York market about this team.
“Quincy Williams has had issues in the past with situational awareness and route awareness, and the Jags are taking advantage of the opportunity,” Lageman said.
Williams struggled mightily in coverage today, including not doing an ideal job on two touchdown passes to running backs, Travis Ettiene and Bhayshul Tuten.
But it’s hard to be too critical of Glenn for kicking the tires on a player he inherited with a manageable contract.
But to look at Sherwood’s film from 2024, and decide to give him a three-year contract worth $45 million with $30 million guaranteed was bizarre.
All the issues you are seeing this year, like being a tick late reacting in coverage, and running into blocks against the run, were all over the film from last year.
What led Glenn to pull the trigger on that contract?
There is no problem bringing him back, and letting him compete, but how about 1 one-year deal for $4 million, or a contract like they just gave center Josh Myers, two years for $11 million.
The largesse of the Sherwood, when they had access to last year’s film before making their decision, was a bad look for the new regime.
The film doesn’t lie.
And this takes us to all this talk that Glenn should take over that defensive play-calling from Steve Wilks.
Look, when the Wilks hire was universally praised in the echo chamber, I wrote they shouldn’t have done it, but instead let him coach the secondary. The story is still on the site.
But with that being said, I don’t think Glenn taking over the defensive play-calling at this point would make any difference because of all the defensive personnel issues.
They need five or six new defensive starters in the off-season. After watching the Jets-Jags game, I’m thinking the number might be higher.
And if anybody is up for a new contract on defnese, they better be careful with the money.
Something perhaps they weren’t with Sherwood.
Jets faced an offensive line today with a backup left tackle, and got no sacks. Backup left tackle Cole Van Lanen, who is listed as a guard, looked like Jonathan Ogden today.
By the way, great for Sherwood and his family. Good people. They are set up well for their futures. Don’t begrudge him one dime. He didn’t give the money to himself . . .
Speaking of personnel decisions, it was very surprising that this team went into the season with Brady Cook as their #3 QB.
I challenge you to find any of the other 31 teams that would have done this.
There was nothing wrong with signing him to the practice squad and trying to develop him, but he had so much to work on, to have him in the #3 spot, what’s up with that?
One of his issues in college was related to accuracy.
Lageman called him “a little bit of dear in the headlights” out there today, and he threw a late pick in the end zone that baffled the former Jets linebacker.
The pass wasn’t anywhere near a receiver and it was picked off by linebacker Kendre Miller.
“That was a poor throw by the rookie Cook – what absolutely terrible throw by the rookie passer,” Lageman said.
Great kid. Hard worker. Should not be playing this year.
So while Glenn needs to improve as an NFL head coach, like a lot of first year head coaches, he needs to improve as a personnel guy as well.
December 14, 2025
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