The New York Jets have prioritized defense early in the 2026 offseason. New York went on a spending spree in free agency, acquiring multiple defensive players. One recent quote seemingly confirms one rumor surrounding the Jets this offseason.
Former NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale made a revealing statement on a recent podcast appearance.
Martindale sneakily confirmed that Jets owner Woody Johnson meddled in Aaron Glenn’s attempt to hire him as defensive coordinator.
“I think it was close. I’ve always respected and I like Aaron Glenn. He’s a good dude, and we think a lot alike on a lot of similar things defensively,” Martindale said on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard on Thursday. “But just to be honest with you, I think it was one of those decisions that was out of his hands, and we’ll just leave it at that. But that’s OK. Wherever you’re at is where you’re supposed to be.”
Martindale was once viewed as a top candidate to land the job. In fact, New York flew in Martindale for a second interview on January 24th. But he did not land the job.
So what went wrong?
One report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini on February 15th suggested that Johnson could have meddled in the decision.
“About a week earlier, Glenn had attended organizational meetings at owner Woody Johnson’s home in Palm Beach, Florida,” Cimini wrote. “The timing of those meetings, coupled with the seemingly abrupt end to Martindale’s candidacy, fueled speculation that Johnson, who has a reputation for meddling, had instructed Glenn to run the defense himself.”
Martindale’s comments seem to confirm the accuracy of Cimini’s reporting.
The Jets ultimately hired former Dolphins pass game coordinator Brian Duker as their next defensive coordinator. Glenn and Duker have ties after spending time together in Detroit.
Hopefully New York can still find success in 2026 with Glenn calling defensive plays.
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