After adjusting their organizational workflow during the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh era, the Jets are shifting back to a setup in which the head coach holds a bit more power.
Aaron Glenn and new GM Darren Mougey will each report to Woody Johnson, the longtime owner confirmed (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) on Monday. Considering the (largely Johnson-generated) negative perception around the Jets during this year’s hiring cycle, Glenn receiving this power is not too surprising. The Jets were able to land one of the top HC candidates in this year’s pool, and the team will give him a greater influence in the building.
This does give Mougey a bit less power, but given how matters deteriorated during Douglas’ tenure, the Jets going with this two-pronged reporting structure makes sense as a changeup approach. Mougey comes over from the Broncos, where the GM also does not hold complete authority. At least, Mougey’s ex-boss — George Paton — has not done so since Sean Payton‘s 2023 arrival. A number of NFL teams use a setup in which the HC and GM report to ownership; the Jets are back among that contingent.
Mougey and Glenn will be partners moving forward. After a chaotic final stretch during the Douglas-Saleh period, it will be interesting to see how the Jets function under their new personnel leaders. Ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, whom the team entrusted to help pick out new leadership, said during an interview with ESPN 880 New York; h/t ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he and The33rdteam.com colleague Rick Spielman emphasized leadership over scheme when landing on Glenn.
Regarding Mougey, Tannenbaum pointed to the former Paton lieutenant surviving an ownership change while rising up the chain as a sign of his abilities. The Broncos hired Mougey in 2012, when Pat Bowlen was still charge, and retained him under the Rob Walton-led group. With John Elway effectively holding owner-level power while the Bowlen heirs squabbled during the late 2010s, Mougey’s acumen may be best illustrated by him remaining in Denver under Elway, Paton and then Payton’s leadership.
Prior to landing on Mougey, the Jets interviewed a host of candidates. A previously unreported one — interim GM Phil Savage — also met about the position, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Savage, who is better known for his four-year run as Browns GM during the 2000s, ran the Jets’ GM interview count to 16. Of those, six — Savage, Thomas Dimitroff, Ray Farmer, Brian Gaine, Ryan Grigson and Jon Robinson — were second-chance candidates. This hiring period saw both the NFL’s current second-chance GMs — Tom Telesco, Trent Baalke — axed, reminding how uncommon it is for front office bosses to resurface in power compared to HCs.
As Tannenbaum said Glenn “checked every box,” Glenn said Monday he will not call defensive plays. This will be a change for the four-year coordinator, who was the Lions’ defensive play-caller throughout his tenure with the resurgent franchise. Glenn’s next DC will hold that responsibility, while the former Payton lieutenant operates as a CEO HC.
Regarding Glenn’s next quarterback, Johnson said he will not throw his weight around regarding Aaron Rodgers‘ future. Johnson called Rodgers “a talent, a Hall of Famer” but said he would let Mougey and Glenn decide his Jets future. Rodgers said recently his future with the team was in the next HC-GM pair’s hands, and a Sunday report indicated both Glenn and Rodgers would be open to a partnership for the 2025 season. Glenn certainly stopped short of hinting which direction the Jets will go when asked about Rodgers’ future.
“This thing is not about Aaron Rodgers, folks. This is about the roster,” Glenn said, via Cimini. “We plan on building the best roster that we can. So, whatever that may be — guard, tackle, defensive tackle — that’s what we’re evaluating. Listen, everybody’s under the microscope. That’s just what it is.”
As our Rory Parks pointed out, the Jets holding the No. 7 overall pick — in a much-maligned draft at the QB position — and not having a younger option waiting in the wings would presumably make them likely to reexamine the Rodgers situation. In the wake of Douglas’ firing, a few reports suggested Rodgers was on his way out in New York. Amid a meddling spree on the owner’s part, Johnson was believed to have called for Rodgers’ benching on multiple occasions.
It would cost the Jets more than $49MM in dead money, which would likely be spread over two years via post-June 1 release, to dump Rodgers’ contract. If Glenn and Mougey want to start fresh, that makes sense. But obtaining a surefire upgrade on Rodgers will not be a lock.
Then again, Rodgers has not yet determined if he wants to continue playing. Plenty of moving parts exist for the Jets at quarterback. After Johnson’s previous interference — to the point at least one of his teenage sons was believed to be involved in personnel decisions — irked Douglas and many others (per Cimini) in the organization, the owner will attempt to step back and let his new hires run the show.
This is a drastic change from previous protocol of reporting to Brick.