Aaron Glenn is under no illusions about what he sees his first offseason as New York Jets head coach looking like. With the franchise coming off a disastrous two years with Aaron Rodgers, the cleanup isn’t a quick fix. A host of free agent signings won’t undo the mess created; it has to be stripped back to its bare bones, and that is what Glenn intends to do. Starting in his first offseason as a head coach, Glenn has placed a big emphasis on culture for his new team, and it all begins with one small step. Creating a “winning” culture can be one of the hardest things to do in professional sports, and with the Jets’ offseason program getting underway, Glenn knows how he wants the franchise to think. “Understand what Phase One [of the offseason program] is really about,” Glenn said via the New York Post. “We’re trying to get bigger, faster, stronger, more explosive. That’s the only thing I want the players worrying about at that point. We have a lot of time for scheme. We have a lot of time to talk about Super Bowls and playoffs, but right now building a culture and building an environment in that building is the most important thing right now to me.” Setting that cultural standard and foundation will allow the franchise to become a better version of itself later on.
We saw what Dan Quinn did for the Washington Commanders in just 12 months, and no doubt Glenn will be looking for something similar to happen in his first season. The Jets have struggled badly over the past decade or so, and now Glenn is seen as the man to help turn this franchise from a laughingstock into an AFC contender. No, it won’t likely happen overnight as Quinn’s rebuild in Washington did, but Glenn is going about it the right way. Build that foundation and make it so strong that it can withstand the rigors of NFL football. Because in New York, it does get rather messy at times, but with the right culture, Glenn and his team will be able to ride out the storm as they seek calmer waters.