There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Jets' head coaching hire, including from someone who had previously criticized the Jets' coordinator.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton congratulated Aaron Glenn on social media after it was announced that the Lions defensive coordinator had taken the Jets' vacant spot.
“Congratulations, AG! Very well deserved.” he wrote on Wednesday X.
Glenn served as Payton's defensive backs coach with the Saints from 2016 to 2020.
Payton famously attacked Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett while taking jabs at the Jets as a whole after taking over the head coaching job in Denver in 2023, when Hackett was fired. .
Payton called the job Hackett did with the Broncos “one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history,” and said in an interview with USA Today, “Given everything we heard about last season, we didn't want to do the opposite.” I'm doing it,” he said. ”
Other comments Payton made in the interview seemed to take aim at the Jets' appearance on Hard Knocks that summer.
“We're not doing any of that. The Jets have done that this year,” he said. “Look. 'Hard Knocks,' all of that. We can see it coming. Remember when [former Washington owner] Did Dan Snyder put together that dream team? I was with the Giants [in 2000]. I was a young coach. I thought, “How am I going to compete with them?” Dion [Sanders is] I’m there now.’ That team won eight games or something. So, listen…just put in the work. ”
The comment irritated some Jets players, but then-head coach Robert Saleh declined to comment on the issue.
The Jets announced Wednesday that they had hired Glenn, who played eight seasons with the team, making him the organization's 19th full-time head coach.
The hire has been praised by many former members of the organization, including former safety Victor Green and receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
“Let's turn around, dude,” Green said. “I really think it's 'AG' that's going to turn this situation around. I know the head coach is in him right now. He's in there. He's got it.”
