You have to think this news hit New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis like a thunderbolt. It’s the New York Jets, not the Saints themselves, who are reported to be at the top of Aaron Glenn’s wish list.
The New York Post’s Brian Costello reports Glenn, the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator whose services are coveted by teams looking for a new head coach, would prefer to go back to the team that drafted him.
Costello wrote in a recent column that, “(Glenn) has told people the Jets are his first choice if he were to be offered a head coaching position.”
It’s not surprising that the Saints aren’t as envied as other destinations, but it is surprising to hear the Jets are a preferable destination. Between a meddling owner-and-son duo and the media scrutiny of playing in America’s largest television market, the job comes with some unique challenges. And it’s not like Glenn has had a long-running relationship with them, either. When he retired as a player he signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Houston Texans, not the Jets.
But we shouldn’t avoid the point that the Saints aren’t seen as a prestigious landing spot, either. The team’s salary cap hurdles make roster-building an immediate concern for a new coach. So does being locked in with Derek Carr under center and a poor run of draft picks. Loomis values the continuity he’s enjoyed since being named general manager way back in 2002, but his lack of success without Sean Payton coaching his team and Drew Brees playing quarterback have to be seen as real turnoffs from the outside looking in. That just might be the case with Glenn.