Jets GM Darren Mougey plans to be 'aggressive but calculated' this offseason
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jets general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn chalked up some of the mistakes they made and the team’s poor performance to being on the job for the first time. Mougey expects 2026 to be very different for the Jets.
“I believe we can be competitive and respectable right away, next year,” Mougey said on Tuesday.
The Jets were neither this past season. They went 3-14 — the third-worst record in franchise history — and lost nine games by two scores or more. If the Jets don’t make dramatic improvements, Mougey and Glenn may not get a third season.
“I've been here a year, I've learned a lot,” Mougey said. “We've learned a lot. I've got a clear vision. AG and I, we talk daily on this roster and the vision and this division. With the assets we have moving forward, the draft capital, the cap space, I know we're going to continue to build and add good players to this team that are going to help us win.”
The Jets have the No. 2 pick in the draft and four of the first 44 overall. They have more than $90 million in cap space. Mougey said he wants to re-sign running back Breece Hall. Mougey also said he would be “aggressive but calculated” in how he attacks the offseason.
“I feel more confident today than ever moving forward with what we have going,” he said.
The Jets have the resources to get better, but there are many areas that need addressing, including coaching.
Glenn is returning, but he didn’t distinguish himself as a head coach. Signing Justin Fields to a two-year, $30 million contract and turning the offense over to him proved to be a mistake. The defense, which is Glenn’s background, was a major weakness.
Now the Jets are in the market for a new quarterback and a new defensive coordinator. There probably will be other changes on Glenn’s staff, too. But Glenn said he’ll be better for having gone through this difficult season.
“As a rookie head coach and same thing as a GM, going through this first year and really understanding the landscape of everything, that's a huge deal,” Glenn said. “Speaking of myself, there's a number of things that I know that I will be better at. I'm still doing self-reflection, but I know for a fact there are a number of things.”
The most important thing for the Jets is finding their next quarterback.
When asked about Fields’ future with the team, all Glenn would say is “Justin’s under contract.” It’s unlikely that Fields, who was benched in Week 12, will be back. He’s owed $10 million, but the Jets probably will release him.
“We had a clear vision for Justin, a good plan,” Mougey said. “Now, obviously, the season didn't go as planned.”
The Jets could draft a quarterback. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore — if he declares — are possibilities. The Jets also will have to sign a veteran in free agency and/or trade for one.
“I can tell you this,” Mougey said, “we'll exhaust every option — free agency, the league, the draft. We will exhaust that and have a good solution for the New York Jets.”
Having the right infrastructure to develop a young quarterback will be critical for the Jets. Fields seemed to regress rather than develop under this coaching staff. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook, who started the last four games, showed little improvement. Quarterbacks coach Charles London could be replaced.
Glenn wouldn’t answer a question about staff changes, but he did say the Jets would make quarterback development a priority.
“We're going to exhaust everything that we can to make sure that we surround our quarterbacks now, and if we get any quarterbacks in the future, with guys that's going to help them,” Glenn said.
As for the Jets’ next defensive coordinator, Glenn said he’s looking for “a lot of synergy” with him, both personally and professionally.
Like he did after the Jets’ 35-8 season-ending loss in Buffalo, Glenn took the blame for this season’s failures. He said he fully knows “the musts, needs and wants” going forward and intends to earn the fans' trust.
“Our plan is to do that,” Glenn said. “We don't expect to have another season like this.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
