First-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has stressed "physicality" and "accountability" during training camp after former head coach Robert Saleh went 20-36 during his Jets tenure.
The latest example of how things are different under Glenn occurred when the club held what Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News referred to as a "secret players-only practice" less than 24 hours after Gang Green suffered a 31-12 preseason loss to the New York Giants this past Saturday.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, Glenn was the only coach present for the session.
"It was nothing crazy," Jets cornerback Michael Carter II said about the practice. "Just a player’s walkthrough type of thing that we had. It was cool, really, to run that ourselves and be totally accountable because we were out there making the calls and going off based on what we saw and everything like that."
Cimini mentioned that quarterback Justin Fields ran the offense during the practice, while middle linebacker Jamien Sherwood was in charge of the defense. Versus the Giants, Fields completed just 1-of-5 passes for four yards.
"The great teams are player-led teams," Carter added. "The players are accountable, and we understand what the standard is and how we need to get things done and how things should operate. So we got a chance to go out there and prove it for the first time with just being us."
Much has been made about the "uneven" performances of the Jets' offense this summer with Fields running the show. While multiple Jets coaches defended the team's QB1 this week, Fields' numbers from Wednesday won't inspire much confidence.
Justin Fields is 10 of 23 passing today with a TD, 2 INTs, pair of strip sacks. It’s been raining throughout practice. Definitely playing factor. #Jets
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 20, 2025
"That was something that was new to me," Jets center Josh Myers said about Sunday's clandestine practice. "For all intents and purposes, it felt like a practice, just player-led."
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Jets at +450 betting odds to make the playoffs this season. Only the Giants (+550), Cleveland Browns (+850) and New Orleans Saints (+850) had worse odds at that time.
One player-led August practice likely won't save what many believe will be a rough season for the Jets. However, it could help reinforce the type of culture Glenn is attempting to establish during his first year in charge.
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