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Aaron Glenn’s first season running the New York Jets was disappointing. Now with a gutted roster rebuilt from scratch, a prominent NFL media voice laid out what the next chapter means for the second-year coach.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio dissected Glenn’s veteran-heavy free agency strategy this offseason.

“If Glenn hopes to have a future in New York, dipping into the past could be the only way to make it happen,” Florio wrote on Saturday.

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The Jets defense in 2025 became the first unit in NFL history to play a full season without recording a single interception. New York finished with the second-worst scoring defense and ranked 25th in yards allowed. Only Dallas surrendered more points.

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Aaron Glenn bets on familiar faces as Jets’ make-or-break year takes shape

Aaron Glenn’s response this offseason has been swift and pointed. He went back to what he knows, veterans with ties to his coaching past, to fix a locker room that defensive tackle Harrison Phillips called “cancerous” after the season ended.

The Jets were the most active team on defense in the opening days of free agency. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick arrived via a trade from Miami on a three-year, $40 million deal. Linebacker Demario Davis signed for two years at $22 million. Defensive tackle David Onyemata, inked a one-year, $10.5 million deal. Davis and Onyemata have history with Glenn, who was their defensive backs coach during their days with the New Orleans Saints.

Glenn also stripped any buffer by taking over defensive play-calling duties in 2026.

He appears to know the assignment, but whether Glenn’s revamped defense delivers is the question that matters.