Within just a few short months, the Jets have already undergone significant changes -- including bringing in several new coaches -- as the team begins to build toward the 2026 NFL season.
But for HC Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey, this offseason marks the second of their time together on staff, and the importance of that continuity cannot be overstated.
"It's been outstanding," Glenn said of the relationship. "To be able to have this marriage with a GM, that is probably one of the best things you can have as a head coach. We see it exactly alike. … He understands that it's going to take both of us to try to get this together and we're going to do everything we can to make sure we get that done."
The "competitive fire" and synergy that Glenn said the duo shares will be critical as the staff navigates several moving parts in the coming weeks. Following the NFL Scouting Combine -- which is currently underway -- free agency will begin on March 9, and the 2026 NFL Draft will follow in April. The Jets currently hold significant draft capital, including two first-round selections, but there will be plenty of decisions to be made before that day arrives. Mougey said that with one of the younger rosters in the NFL, he is eager to make some moves during free agency to add veterans to the locker room.
"Really important next few weeks," Mougey said. "And I really enjoy this part of the process. It's fun for me to get to work with the scouts, working with the coaches as we go through the free-agency process and then kind of juggle both the transition to the draft studies, and obviously the Combine here this week, and then the pro days. I love it though, and it's a very important time."
Mougey said he is entering this offseason with more comfort than a year ago, when he had just arrived at 1 Jets Drive for his first season with the Green & White. Additionally, new coaches and staff members have made the GM even more confident in his and Glenn's ability to build things the right way.
"It is a lot to juggle, but I feel really good about where we're at and how we will handle it because of the people and the processes we have in place," Mougey said.
For Glenn, an important part of the process will be reflecting on the shortcomings of last year, while simultaneously looking ahead to the future of the organization.
"At some point you have to bury it, but you also never forget," he said. "Last year was a tough season, and I know that. The coaching staff knows that; the players know that. So, it's our job to change the narrative, and the only way you change that narrative is by winning."
Glenn said that establishing a winning culture has been a priority for the staff, which will now turn its attention to the players it hopes to add to the 2026 roster.
"The only thing that I do know is this -- we're trying to schematically make sure that we're on point so that when these players come in, we have an ironclad scheme that they're going to buy into and it's going to help them be successful," Glenn said.
He added: "It all starts with how we operate as a coaching staff. [The players] look at us and they get their answers from us. And then once they get those answers they start to formulate exactly how they're going to operate in that locker room, and that's when that culture starts to build. We're looking forward to this offseason."
