Players feeling 'a lot more connected' this season in second year under Glenn
Jets coach Aaron Glenn celebrates a touchdown during the first quarter against the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 28, 2026 in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Aaron Glenn’s confidence is soaring as the regular season nears because he feels everyone is aligned and together in what they’re chasing.
The Jets haven’t made the playoffs in 15 years and no one is projecting that drought will end this season. That’s the goal, of course. Glenn feels closer to achieving that than he was last year – his first as a head coach.
“The process that we've been through this year has been really, really good,” Glenn said. “It brings a different level of confidence.”
Major changes were made to the roster and coaching staff. Glenn used the word “lockstep” to describe where everyone in the organization is now. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, a holdover from last season, said the biggest thing the Jets accomplished in training camp is all the players became “a lot more connected.” Glenn liked that word, too.
“That's really it,” Glenn said, “It’s the connection between not just me and the players, but from the whole building. From ownership, head coach, GM, president, players, equipment staff, people in the cafe. The people that probably do the best job here is the people that help us clean the building.
“There's a connection between everybody, and there's one focus on what we're trying to accomplish. When you feel like there's alignment between everybody, it just brings a different level of confidence.”
Phillips said there is an overall “camaraderie and cohesiveness” that gives him the confidence that “we’re going to stick together through whatever happens.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
Newsday's 2026 high school football fantasy draft Newsday high school sports editor Gregg Sarra and his staff choose their top picks in the annual fantasy draft.
