Could Jets fire HC Aaron Glenn during or after his first season in charge?

First-year New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has become a target of critics after losing his first six games at the helm. 

Sports-talk radio programs have discussed whether the Jets could part ways with Glenn during or after the season, depending on how bad things get for the club. The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt addressed the Glenn-sized elephant hovering over the Jets on Friday.

Woody Johnson has apparently already made Aaron Glenn decision

"Let’s get this out of the way," Rosenblatt wrote. "Glenn is not getting fired. Not this season, and not in the offseason either. There are a few reasons for that, but let’s start with the most important one: Patience. Owner Woody Johnson, according to multiple team sources, has mostly stayed out of the way so far — he’s letting Glenn build the team, the culture, in his vision." 

Thus far, the vision of Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey replacing quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Justin Fields has turned the Jets into more of a punchline in NFL circles. While Rodgers seemed to have plenty left in the tank as recently as Thursday night, Fields was one of the league's worst starting quarterbacks over the first six weeks of the campaign. 

Meanwhile, ESPN stats show that the Jets will enter the weekend ranked 28th in the league in opponent points scored per game (28.3). Additionally, Jets star wide receiver Garrett Wilson is expected to miss Sunday's home game against the Carolina Panthers (3-3) due to a knee injury. 

In short, things could get worse for the Jets before they start getting better. 

Money could impact Jets' Aaron Glenn decision

It appears that "patience" isn't the only reason Johnson could give Glenn more than a season to right the ship.

"It should also be noted that Johnson is paying Glenn handsomely — multiple league sources say Glenn’s compensation is higher than that of Robert Saleh, who was reportedly making $5M annually," Rosenblatt added. "If Johnson fired Glenn after this season, he would be paying him a significant salary for, reportedly, four more seasons to not coach the Jets."

In December 2024, stories indicated that the New England Patriots wouldn't make Jerod Mayo a one-and-done head coach. The club fired him shortly after their Week 18 game ended. 

It's also worth mentioning that the Jets would own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if the season ended today. History suggests the Jets shouldn't let Glenn have a say in how the team spends that asset if they end the campaign holding the rights to the draft's top selection.