New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn didn’t mince words when asked what a successful 2026 season would look like for his team.

“Obviously winning, winning hands down, effort and discipline,” he said.

Then came an awkward silence, with Glenn shooting a dagger at the reporter who asked the question. It got me thinking: what really is a successful season for the Jets this year?

What does a successful Jets season look like to Aaron Glenn?

"Winning. Hands down. Effort. Discipline." pic.twitter.com/lCkATJdPUd

— SNY Jets (@snyjets) September 8, 2026

Look, they haven’t had a winning season since 2015. On top of that, the Jets went 3-14 in Aaron Glenn’s first year. It’s hard to have the expectation that the Jets should be a playoff team this season.

I don’t think that’s fair to the coaching staff, the players, and I don’t think it’s a realistic or reasonable expectation to have. Don’t worry though, Glenn’s answer doesn’t have to mean playoffs. 

Why six to seven wins would be a massive step

With some of the offseason additions and it being year two for Glenn, there should be some improvement. Even with plenty of staff change around him, I think it is fair to expect the Jets to win anywhere from six to seven games. Now, I know that’s not a mark that is impressive by any means. You’re still bottom half of the league in that respect. 

But the success should be shown in improvement. And doubling your win total is an improvement. 

The Jets need to just start playing better football. Can the defense generate interceptions this year? Can they create more turnovers? Furthermore, can the offense sustain drives? These are the important questions. 

I think it’ll look a little different every week as every team does. The key is not so much the record at the end of the year but how the team looks overall. 

Do they look like they have taken a jump in year two of the Aaron Glenn era?

To add to that, quite frankly, I think success for Aaron Glenn is him being the Jets’ head coach in 2027. That would mean he has done something better or right this year to remain with the team, because I think we all imagine him being the most pre-fired coach in the league going into this season.

The Jets’ 2027 war chest changes the calculus

We know the Jets are slated to have plenty of cap space going into next year’s free agency. They have 3 first-round draft picks on deck. New York could even use that capital to trade for a bigger-name player. 

I would imagine they’d use it to draft three new guys, but the formula is clear: Glenn doubles his win total in 2026 and keeps his job.

That would be huge, and it allows for the offseason additions after this year to mean even more. Once you develop better winning habits, the guys you bring in are to help take you over the top, not just steady the ship. 

The Jets have plenty of opportunity to do that this year when looking at their schedule. You could argue in fact, that there are six games where the Jets will have equal to subpar talent against their opposition. They get the Titans, Miami twice, the Cardinals, the Browns, and the Raiders.

That is honestly pretty favorable when trying to double that win total from 2025. 

Plus when thinking about the draft next year, with 3 first-round picks, you don’t need a top five pick. Three first-round picks, no matter where they are, is a great luxury to have.

Week 1 against Tennessee will tell a lot

For what it’s worth, Glenn was asked about playing the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. He downplayed it.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we just gotta win the football game,” he said.

I like the “coachspeak” there. There’s no doubt though, this week one matchup will tell a lot. The Jets are playing a Titans team of similar talent. Can New York go into Nashville and get the job done? We’ll see.

And don’t forget, no matter how much either side tries to downplay this game, there’s a lot at stake. There’s no doubt that Robert Saleh wants to beat his former team and the owner who fired him. And there’s no doubt Aaron Glenn wants to lose to the man he was brought in to replace.