Aaron Glenn’s Success In New York Could Speak Volumes About the Lions
Credit: Kevin R. Wexler via Imagn Images
In the weeks after the Detroit Lions’ shocking end to the season, there have been a lot of mixed emotions from fans. While they might be excited for their window still appearing open, they’re disappointed about the playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, as well as downright angry about Ben Johnson’s departure to the rival Chicago Bears.
In fact, they might be downright dizzy at the number of coaches who have gone in and out of Detroit over the past month. But while fans are still heated over Johnson saying goodbye, they’re fairly neutral when it comes to new New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn.
Glenn served as Dan Campbell’s defensive coordinator since his arrival in 2021 and being along for that ride made his departure bittersweet. While Lions fans may be indifferent, they should wish Glenn the best, as his success would speak volumes about what Campbell has built in Detroit.
It began when Campbell took the job as Lions head coach. His introductory press conference will live forever for his “bite a kneecap” comments, but it also established the type of culture he wanted to build. The Lions were pushovers and a team that was the security blanket on the schedule for the rest of the NFC North. Elite quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers dominated Detroit during his career, and Kirk Cousins owes the Lions a Thank You Card for allowing him to rob the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons blind with big-money contracts.
Until Campbell and Glenn took over and installed their culture. Then they started winning. A midseason turnaround in 2022 effectively ended Rodgers’ tenure with the Green Bay Packers with an upset in the season finale. A trip to the NFC Championship Game followed in 2023 and Detroit went 15-2 and claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs last season.
That last line might open a wound for Lions fans, but it also shows what Campbell has built. The Lions went from a team that didn’t have an assistant take a head coaching job since the JFK Administration to both coordinators taking coaching jobs in the same year.
They have a core that should compete for another championship in 2025 and a team that could add more pieces to keep earning bites at the apple. Detroit isn’t going anywhere, even as Glenn heads to New York.
So why should Lions fans care about Glenn and the Jets? Because he’s walking into the same situation Campbell did four years ago.
The Jets are what the Lions used to be. Their owner reportedly makes roster decisions based on Madden ratings. Their quarterback got their previous head coach and general manager fired. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010, and their last winning season came in 2014.
The only key difference is that the Jets won a Super Bowl… back in 1968, and it’s their only appearance in the 65-year history of the franchise. The Lions are the type of team that AFC East fans fear they’ll become, and it’s on Glenn to turn the team around.
It starts in the same place that Campbell’s tenure began: the culture. Rodgers showed up to Florham Park over Super Bowl weekend with a bouquet full of dandelions, and Glenn immediately called out his toxic habits.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Glenn requested that Rodgers stop making appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and show up to every mandatory practice. The requests were too much for Rodgers to handle, so he will be a free agent in the coming weeks. Bye-bye.
It’s more than just getting rid of a stubborn player. It’s bringing over several members of Campbell’s staff, including new offensive line coach Steve Heiden, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and former Lions cornerback coach Dre’ Bly. It’s constructing things from the ground up, just as Campbell did during his time in Detroit.
The Jets have a new regime in place and the owner, Woody Johnson, may still be a pain to deal with. But by getting rid of Rodgers, Glenn at least has some space to create his new culture.
Could that be centered around Cousins when he’s released by the Falcons? Or maybe they want to facilitate a deal to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams? Another stopgap could be in play before the Jets dive into the 2026 Draft, and it may be their best choice to skip quarterback and target the offensive line, considering the Lions built their team by immediately improving the trenches.
All of these are good options, and Glenn’s presence gives Campbell a chance to do something that few coaches have: Spawn a coaching tree that delivers on the hype, even for long-suffering franchises.
Bill Belichick’s coaching tree tried for years to take over the NFL, but most branches rotted and turned into a disaster. Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels, and of course, Matt Patricia, are just some examples of coaches who tried to export “The Patriot Way,” but none of them found success and eventually found their way back to Foxborough. (Though, it should be noted that Brian Flores’ situation is perhaps a bit more complicated.)
Sean McVay’s coaching tree is looking good, but outside of Zac Taylor, none of these coaches really inherited a dumpster fire on the level that Campbell and Glenn are trying to clean up. And sure, the Bears have a former No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams and a front office ready to spend to make things better, but they’ve still been in third-or-fourth-place in nine of the past 11 seasons. Though, if there’s one branch of the coaching tree we’re rooting for to fail, it’s 10000% that one. Otherwise, bring on Dan Campbell as the Coaching Tree Savior of hopeless NFL franchises everywhere.
Up Next