The losses keep on coming for the Detroit Lions. After they suffered an upset defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs, they have now lost Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets head coaching gig after watching Ben Johnson bolt for the Chicago Bears head coach opening.
Glenn, the Lions former defensive coordinator, and Johnson, the Lions former offensive coordinator, were both viewed as top head coaching candidates this offseason. Sure enough, less than a week after their season came to an end, both guys have found homes elsewhere.
There's no doubt this is going to put a strain on Dan Campbell as he attempts to rebuild his suddenly depleted coaching staff. And while his players would likely rather not see Glenn and Johnson bolt, rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold sent a strong message of support to the Jets new head coach after the news came out.
"Couldn't be happier for you coach thanks for everything u taught me in year 1," Arnold said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Couldn't be happier for you coach thanks for everything u taught me in year 1 pic.twitter.com/5X0RnB8BOP
— Terrion Arnold (@ArnoldTerrion) January 22, 2025
Glenn had been Detroit's DC since 2021, and after receiving marginal interest as a head coach over the past few years, his work with the Lions depleted defense in 2024 made him a top candidate. After moving on from Robert Saleh and seeing their defense wilter, the Jets are hoping Glenn can come fix things for them.
Arnold only spent one season working with Glenn after he was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but his growth while working with the veteran coach was clear. Arnold's durability was key, as he played in 16 games for Detroit in a season where they had a rotating cast of players suiting up for them on defense.
It's clear that Glenn's departure is going to have an impact on Detroit, especially Arnold since he's the only defensive coordinator he's played for in his brief NFL career. Now that he's gone, though, Campbell is going to have to move quickly to find his replacement.
