NY Jets legend delivers honest message to ownership about Aaron Glenn

The New York Jets are hoping that Aaron Glenn is the man to finally change their fortunes. The former Pro Bowl cornerback and longtime Jets fan favorite returned to Florham Park this offseason as the team’s new head coach, bringing with him a wave of optimism.

Glenn helped reshape the culture in Detroit as the Lions’ defensive coordinator, and now he’s tasked with doing the same for a franchise desperate to find long-term stability.

Jets fans have reason to be cautiously optimistic. Glenn’s ties to the organization run deep, and his no-nonsense approach has already begun to reshape the tone around the building.

But even with Glenn’s arrival, many know that one of the franchise’s biggest challenges still looms large: ownership. Specifically, Woody Johnson, a figure Jets fans have long seen as an obstacle to sustained success.

And it’s not just fans who feel that way. Jets legend John Abraham, who crossed paths with Glenn in New York, recently spoke with ESPN’s Rich Cimini and delivered a subtle but pointed message directed at the team’s ownership when asked about Glenn’s hiring.

"He's going to have the players different, man. I just hope they give him the time to build this team."

John Abraham

John Abraham pleads with NY Jets ownership to give Aaron Glenn time

Abraham isn’t the only former Glenn teammate to speak highly of his hiring. Former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington praised Glenn’s unwavering sense of professionalism and the consistency he brought to every role he took on.

"With A.G., he's going to do it a certain way — a way he believes in. That's what made him a great DB. He had a certain way of doing things, and he's a true professional."

Chad Pennington

That same approach, Pennington noted, has already begun to translate into his coaching style. Former first-round picks Shaun Ellis and Anthony Becht echoed similar sentiments, both pointing to Glenn’s discipline and leadership.

"He's going to make sure they weed out anything that shouldn't be around,” Becht said, describing the Jets’ new-look culture under Glenn.

Ellis added that while Glenn always had a lighthearted locker room presence, he was all business when it mattered most. That's a mindset that now defines his head coaching identity, and it stems from his mentor, Bill Parcells.

Glenn’s handling of the Aaron Rodgers situation only reinforced the cultural shift underway in Florham Park. It was a firm, no-nonsense move and the exact kind of leadership Glenn’s former teammates always believed he’d bring to a head coaching role.

Aaron Glenn’s trying to change the way things work in Florham Park, and if you ask his former teammates, they think he’s the guy to do it. He’s already set the tone early, now it’s on Johnson and ownership to stay out of the way and let him build.