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Aaron Glenn is overlooking a key element with his Jets QB strategy
Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Has New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields done enough to be named the everyday starter? Even if he has, head coach Aaron Glenn isn’t saying.

For the second straight week, Glenn has been mum on who will start for the team heading into Sunday’s contest. As the Jets prepare to face the Cleveland Browns and their elite defense, the public indecision surrounding the quarterback role has become an unnecessary distraction—one that Glenn seems to be mishandling.

Jets push back on QB questions

Fields is expected to be the starting quarterback for Week 10. When he last left the field, he did so a winner—earning the organization’s first victory of the 2025 season.

It wouldn’t make much sense for New York to go in a different direction coming off the bye week.

However, just because the decision appears obvious doesn’t mean Glenn was prepared to make it public. Instead, he continued to deflect when reporters asked him before Friday’s practice.

“Our guys know who’s going to be the quarterback,” Glenn said. “I know who’s going to be the quarterback. It’s just not my responsibility to have to tell you that.”

Glenn’s approach to the question has drawn mixed reactions. Supporters say he’s trying to maintain a competitive advantage going into Sunday.

Detractors, however, view his response as another example of the team’s lack of transparency—a frustrating stance for a fanbase that continues to show up despite years of losing.

Glenn has carried this tone since he was hired. Early on, his short answers and pushback were seen as a refreshing change from past regimes.

But as the losses pile up, that stand-off nature feels less like discipline and more like deflection—the same mistake failed head coaches around the league have made.

And it all comes back to the fans.

Glenn’s big mistake

Glenn isn’t the first NFL coach to push back on reporters asking simple questions about key positions. Bill Parcells, Glenn’s mentor, was famous for his sharp exchanges with the media.

Bill Belichick, another Parcells disciple, built a reputation on terse answers and media stonewalling. During New England’s championship runs, Belichick’s approach was tolerated—even admired—because the team kept winning.

But when the wins stopped after Tom Brady’s departure, that same demeanor drew harsh criticism. Fans wanted accountability, and those evasive answers came off as dismissive rather than strategic.

That’s what these press conferences are about—accountability. They serve as a means for the media and fans to hold organizations accountable for their direction and decisions.

Glenn’s first season in New York hasn’t gone according to plan. The team is 1-7, has traded away two of its best defensive starters, and fans are paying higher ticket prices to watch another losing campaign.

Now should be the time for Glenn to connect with the fanbase, not alienate it. Building trust is crucial during a rebuild, and transparency is one of the most effective ways to achieve it.

Instead, Aaron Glenn’s continued silence on an obvious decision has created an unnecessary hole for himself—one that may deepen if the answers don’t change and the losing continues.

This article first appeared on Jets X-Factor and was syndicated with permission.

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