Aaron Glenn, Jets Agree to HC Contract After Lions' Playoff Loss amid Saints Rumors

The New York Jets are hiring Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Glenn agreed to a five-year deal that will tie him to the Jets through 2029, Schefter reported.

The Jets later confirmed the news:

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks is "among the strong candidates" to join Glenn's staff in New York. Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz offered more insight on the potential makeup of Glenn's roster of assistants:

The Lions will receive a compensatory third-round draft pick in each of the next two drafts by virtue of the Jets' hire.

Glenn was reportedly expected to interview with the New Orleans Saints if he did not reach a deal with New York.

The Jets entered the 2024 season having missed the playoffs 13 straight seasons. Hopes ran high with the return of a healthy Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler, after he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign.

However, they got off to a tough start in 2024, going 2-3.

That included a two-game losing streak starting with a 10-9 home loss to the Denver Broncos in which the Jets (a) managed just three field goals and (b) fell to a team that managed just 60 passing yards.

New York then fell 23-17 to the Minnesota Vikings in London. That game featured three interceptions from Rodgers, who saw one of his picks returned for a touchdown.

Two days later, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh, whose tenure of three-plus years ended with him going 20-36. He was the sixth straight Jets head coach to finish with a losing record.

New York then turned to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to be the team's interim head coach. The Jets went 3-9 under him to finish the year 5-12.

The 52-year-old Glenn was once a star cornerback for the Jets, playing with the team from 1994 to 2001 and making two Pro Bowls. He was a Pro Bowler in 1998 when the Jets went 12-4 and reached the AFC Championship Game.

Glenn played NFL cornerback from 1994 to 2008, also suiting up for the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and Saints.

Six years after his playing days ended, Glenn became an NFL coach. He started with the Cleveland Browns (assistant defensive backs coach) before moving to New Orleans and becoming their defensive backs coach from 2016 to 2020. He then headed to Detroit for the defensive coordinator job alongside head coach Dan Campbell.

Glenn's best job has been this year, with the team finishing with a top-10 scoring defense despite a host of injuries, including superstar edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson missing 11-plus games with a broken tibia and fibula.

Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Malcolm Rodriguez, cornerback Carlton Davis and defensive lineman Alim McNeill also landed on injured reserve during the year.

Now Glenn gets a well-deserved shot at being a head coach as he returns to the Jets and hopes to restore the team to being a playoff contender once again.