The Athletic: Why Jets players can’t stop throwing shade at last coaching staff: 10 lessons from TC

Another Athletic Article

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6524031/2025/07/30/jets-training-camp-practice-report-first-week/

Why Jets players can’t stop throwing shade at last coaching staff: 10 lessons from training camp

This is not uncommon when a new regime comes in after the previous one failed to win enough games. And it’s no secret that the Jets had some longstanding culture issues, not all of them tied to the coaching staff. But it would be hard to take some of the words being spoken on the practice fields of Florham Park this summer as anything other than shots at the previous coaching staff — particularly, at Robert Saleh.

Seemingly at every turn, notable players — sometimes unprompted — have criticized Saleh’s approach to training camp and coaching when asked about the way Aaron Glenn has conducted camp, including a physical practice on Monday that included actual tackling. As in, tackling to the ground, a rarity around here in recent years. Which brings us to the first of the 10 lessons I’ve learned about this team over the first week of practices: These Jets want to be challenged.

Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, not one to throw shade at anyone, said last week that Glenn “praises physicality but even more: accountability. That’s very important for a head coach to do. That’s something I haven’t seen much of in my career.” Wide receiver Garrett Wilson on Tuesday said Glenn has been coaching him in a way he hasn’t felt since his Ohio State days, notable considering Saleh had been his only NFL head coach before this year.

“He’ll get on my a– if I put a ball on the ground or don’t run with details,” Wilson said. “That’s what I miss from college. Making sure you’re hyper-focused yourself is fine, but when you got someone to push you on that a little more, not let you slip up, it’s valuable.”

Guard John Simpson said the vibe around the team feels “more businesslike.”
Running back Breece Hall’s comments might’ve been the harshest: “In the past there’s been a lot of instability around the whole operation. I feel like this year, everybody is bought into this coaching staff. Everybody is bought into our GM. Everybody is bought into our owner. It feels a lot better coming in here every day.”

Jets players were speaking ill of the Adam Gase era when Saleh started too — and the cycle will continue if the Jets don’t find a way to actually win football games when they count. But for now, at least, the roster appears to be buying into what Glenn is selling.

2. The offensive and defensive styles: as expected

Throughout the spring, Glenn and his coordinators weren’t keen on defining what style of offense or defense the Jets will be running, but the players have had a harder time biting their tongues.
On offense, this is going to be a run-first scheme — one built around a rushing attack with three talented options at running back (Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis), a running quarterback (Justin Fields) and an offensive line built for run-blocking. The unit has thrived in that area throughout camp so far. Last year, the Jets were last in the NFL in rushing attempts, something that irked many in their locker room on both sides of the ball. A lot of that was tied to the previous quarterback, who liked to check out of those running plays.
That won’t happen as much this season.

“I’m excited,” Simpson said, then leaned in closer to the mic. “I’m really excited. I love running the ball, man. That’s my strong suit. I’m excited for the opportunity to come out here and just run the ball. If we can run the ball we’re gonna win a lot of games.”
Added Hall: “We’re all really bought into this run scheme.”

Wilson thinks a better rushing attack will open things up for him in the passing game too.
“It can be explosive,” Wilson said. “The better we can run the ball — especially with the running backs we got and Justin’s ability to run the ball — the more push we can get, the more we can run on second and short and convert, that’s going to open up everything for us.”

As for the defense: Expect an aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme with much more man-to-man coverage. At least once per practice, a defensive back and/or linebacker has made a play in the backfield during 11-on-11 drills. This new scheme feels like a particularly good fit for a Quincy Williams. And cornerback Sauce Gardner admitted he’s ecstatic for the chance to finally travel with the league’s best receivers.

 

3. The RB room might be more 1A-1B than 1-2
This isn’t so much a knock on Hall as it is praise for Allen: The Jets are going to have a hard time keeping Allen off the field in 2025. The second-year back looks bigger, faster and stronger. As a rookie, he stood out during training camp then fell by the wayside when the Jets got away from running the ball during the season.

Allen has been one of the stars of camp so far, showing a level of explosiveness and downhill running ability the Jets have been lacking. He’s a legit threat in the passing game too, which should allow offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand to get creative — and Glenn has made it a point to say the Jets will use Hall much more as a receiver than they have in the past. Which means Allen and Hall could wind up on the field at the same time a decent amount.

“Braelon is a 240-pound man that’s always falling forward,” Glenn said. “That’s where he’s going to make his money … it’s going to weigh on defensive players.”

4. It’s not really a competition at WR2 — and might not be at WR3 either
It looked like this in the spring, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to say that Josh Reynolds feels pretty locked in as the No. 2 wide receiver — and based on what we’ve seen in camp, I’m not exactly sure what Allen Lazard’s role is in this offense. The Jets like his ability to block in the running game but he doesn’t contribute on special teams and I’m fairly certain Fields has only targeted Lazard once in the passing game all of camp.

Tyler Johnson has jumped out more in practice, making some plays after the catch and exhibiting some athleticism that Lazard simply doesn’t bring to the table. Glenn raved about Johnson’s ability to feel where defensive backs are and what they’re going to do — and how adept he is at exploiting that despite not being the quickest or fastest receiver on the field.

“Once we got a chance to sign him, it was a no-brainer for us,” Glenn said.

I’m not convinced Lazard is a lock to make the 53-man roster — and same for second-year receiver Malachi Corley, who has mostly repped with the second- and third-string quarterbacks.

5. Mason Taylor: Clear-cut TE1
As camp has progressed, Taylor has made strides, building chemistry with Fields and making plays when he’s called upon. He had one drop on Tuesday on a pass that he should’ve caught from Fields — but bounced back with an impressive 15-yard touchdown catch at the end of a successful move-the-ball period for the offense. He’s already a head above Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt and looks ready to step in as a starter in Week 1.

“He’s got great hands, he finds a way to be open when he needs to be,” Wilson said. “The ball finds him and he makes a play, which for a position like that he’s as good as I’ve seen at making a play, finishing a play, being open. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him. He’s really going to help us this year — he came in ready.”

6. A new (old?) face in the kicking competition
The Jets appear settled at punter with Austin McNamara, recently cutting Kai Kroeger.

The kicking competition just added an interesting wrinkle, a folk hero if you will: Former Jet Nick Folk signed on Tuesday, and the team released Caden Davis. Folk will compete with Harrison Mevis for the job — and I’d bet on Folk winning it.

The Jets have been seeking consistency at kicker since letting Folk walk in 2017, and he’s been consistent around the league ever since, most recently converting a league-best 96.2 percent of his field goals the last two years with the Titans. He’s 40 and still has something left in the tank.

7. Mo(o)re, Malachi
Another rookie who looks ready-made for game action: Fourth-round safety Malachi Moore. It’s no coincidence that Moore really came into his own once the pads came on and the defense was allowed to actually hit the offense. In back-to-back practices, he made plays at or behind the line of scrimmage on the running back, broke up a pass, and earned raves from Glenn. They’re making him earn the starting job next to Andre Cisco, but Moore looks the part already.

8. Will McDonald looks ready to leap into stardom
It feels like a lifetime ago that the public was killing the Jets for missing out on tackle Broderick Jones in the 2023 draft and instead selecting a defensive end (McDonald) when that wasn’t a need. McDonald broke out last year with 10.5 sacks, and this offseason he put on 15 pounds of muscle — a necessity for a player who was undersized and winning almost entirely with speed and agility.

In camp, he’s incorporated power into his game, even running through right tackle Armand Membou at one point to get a sack. The Jets are severely lacking for depth at defensive end so they’ll need McDonald to be more than just a pass rusher this year — early returns are promising.

9. The center competition is real
Joe Tippmann and Josh Myers are embroiled in a real competition to start at center — something that Myers said was promised to him when he signed a free agent this offseason. From what I understand, Myers expected to have a bigger market, which is why he was still sitting there to sign with the Jets for cheap (one year, $3.5 million) after the initial wave of free agency. Both centers have acquitted themselves well. Tippmann still feels like the favorite, but it’s far from a lock.

10. Some under-the-radar standouts
• S Jarius Monroe: A favorite of the previous staff, Monroe was shouted out by Glenn on Monday and has stood out in drills. He could be a top backup at safety.
• LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball: He’s a hard-hitting linebacker who’s made more plays than his competition, like Jamin Davis, Zaire Barnes and Francisco Mauigoa.
• WR Jamaal Pritchett: The undrafted rookie receiver has made some impressive downfield catches in team drills and is pushing Xavier Gipson at punt returner.
• WR Brandon Smith: He’s a big-bodied receiver who has played well since the spring — and has made more plays than Lazard.
• DT Payton Page: The undrafted rookie defensive tackle is making a push for a depth spot on the line. He has out-played Leonard Taylor, Fatorma Mulbah and Phidarian Mathis from what I can tell.