The big question around Aaron Glenn and the Jets’ quarterback situation is focused on the wrong things

Right question. Wrong focus.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Aaron Glenn is weighing a major change for the New York Jets. With Glenn’s team, in their first year under his direction, sitting winless through seven weeks of the 2025 season, the conversation has turned towards quarterback Justin Fields. Fields has been the Jets’ starter for all but one of New York’s games thus far this season and he’s posted less than 100 passing yards in the last two games combined.

It’s one thing when the struggles are coming in August. It’s another thing entirely when we’re near Halloween. It is, rightfully, time to start asking those hard questions. And Aaron Glenn is also justified to make a change to Tyrod Taylor — a change that some reports suggest may be coming.

But not for the reason you might think.

Aaron Glenn would be more than justified to switch quarterbacks

Sep 29, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) tackles New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

This isn’t about salvaging the 2025 season. This isn’t a playoff race conversation for the New York Jets. But if Aaron Glenn is serious about the influence and impact his messaging has on his players, he’s reaching the point where a quarterback change is necessary. Glenn talks about the desire to compete and to establish the foundation of a winning football team. Simply running Fields out there, at this point, does not give the New York Jets a chance to do that.

Some fans are okay with the idea of that.

After all, you can land a higher draft pick and then, potentially, have your choice of quarterback in the draft. There’s a few problems with this school of thought. The first is that asking your players to burn the very finite amount of time they have to compete in an environment that is complacent to not putting the team in the best position to win each week is begging those same players to tune you out. Glenn has a job to do — a culture to build and belief to instill. Voluntarily putting that on the back burner for a rookie is great in theory. Not in practice.

Current top-five of the 2026 NFL Draft order

  1. New York Jets (0-7)
  2. Miami Dolphins (1-6)
  3. New Orleans Saints (1-6)
  4. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
  5. Baltimore Ravens (1-5)

And then there’s the other element of this for Glenn. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” industry. The Jets are trying to undo a decade plus of shortcomings, disappointments, and underachieving. Burning your first year with little sign of progress, particularly in the New York market, is the definition of putting the cart before the horse. Say Glenn goes 1-16 in 2025, hypothetically. Then what? A slow start in 2026 will have folks calling for his head.

This isn’t about where you pick. It’s about who you pick. And instilling a locker room culture of competitiveness and accountability should be considered significantly more important to the success of Aaron Glenn’s tenure with the team than an empty-handed promise that the right rookie quarterback will save the franchise. Especially when simply having the first pick doesn’t guarantee you to choose wisely. Jets fans should know this well, given the recent performance of former Jets top-pick Sam Darnold.

And that is why Glenn would be totally justified in a decision to pull Fields from the lineup this week or at any point moving forward. This isn’t just about a spot in the queue — there’s a great deal more at stake.

Related Articles