Aaron Glenn likes to say the NFL is a “league of change.” On Monday, the Jets coach made one.
Less than 24 hours after the Jets allowed 48 points to the Jaguars, Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
Glenn announced the move on Monday morning. Defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris will serve as interim defensive coordinator.
The Jets got blown out by the Jaguars on Sunday 48-20. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another touchdown. This came a week after the Dolphins beat the Jets 34-10.
“I felt like it was the best decision for the organization at this time,” Glenn said. “I’ve said this all along. I’m evaluating players. I’m evaluating coaches. I’m evaluating myself. I just felt like this was the best decision right now for the team and for this organization.”
Glenn said he made the decision on Sunday night and informed Wilks on Monday. The 3-11 Jets have three games left this season, starting with Sunday’s game against the Saints.
The defense ranks 30th in scoring defense, allowing a whopping 28.4 points per game. The Jets are on pace to allow the second-most points in franchise history. They are 20th in yards allowed and 29th in rushing defense. The team has not recorded an interception through 14 games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history. The defense has two takeaways overall.
Wilks was one of Glenn’s first hires when he got the Jets job. The 56-year-old is a veteran defensive coordinator, but has not lasted more than a year in a job since 2017. He was out of the league in 2024 after getting fired by the 49ers after one season despite the team reaching the Super Bowl.
The Jets looked ill-prepared on Sunday and Jacksonville moved the ball at will. The Jaguars scored on eight of their first nine possessions. A week ago, the Dolphins ran over the Jets for 239 rushing yards and had a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
“I just thought that from last week going to this week that the improvement wasn’t there,” Glenn said. “I thought it was time to make a change. I’m going to make the decision that’s best for this organization at all times. It’s my job to make sure I continue to evaluate everything that’s going on. I told you guys that. That’s my job as the head coach. I just thought that this was the time to make that decision.”
Harris, a former player, will now get an opportunity to show what he can do as the play-caller. Glenn, who was the Lions defensive coordinator from 2021-24, said he will assist Harris during the week with the game plan, but Harris will be the one calling the defense on Sunday.
“I want to see consistent improvement,” Glenn said. “I want to see structure that’s consistent. I want to see play that’s consistent. I want to see the character, the culture of this football team come together.”
Glenn said several times on Sunday that he will be evaluating the character of his team down the stretch. He reiterated that Monday.
“I don’t think we have a culture problem,” Glenn said. “I want to make sure that things that we’ve been building up to this point stays where it is and even improves.”
It’s hard to imagine it looking worse than it did Sunday and that proved to be the final straw for Wilks.
“We just didn’t see our brand of football.” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. “I don’t think any player wants to say, ‘Hey. go watch that game to see how I play. That was my highlight game. That’s something I’d love to sign my name to.’ I don’t get that feeling. When we want to be the defense we want to be and be the tip of the spear for this team and this organization, that just can’t happen.”
