Whether or not it’s the Jets or one other franchise, Aaron Glenn might be teaching his personal staff in 2025.
But when Saturday’s recreation was his last one as Lions defensive coordinator, Glenn’s unit didn’t show their greatest on movie.
The Commanders shocked the Lions 45-31 within the NFC Divisional Spherical. Now starting on Monday, Glenn can now conduct in-person teaching interviews with groups fascinated by assembly him in individual.
“Aaron Glenn is — he’s as good a coach as you’re going to find, he’s an even better human being,” Lions coach Dan Campbell stated about Glenn earlier this month. “Look, if nobody wants him, I’ll take him again. I can tell you that right now.”
Simply two performs into the sport towards the Commanders, cornerback Amik Robertson broke his arm and was misplaced for the remainder of the sport. That allowed Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to carve up a Lions protection to the tune of 299 passing yards and two touchdowns. Washington additionally rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns.
Regardless of the disappointing loss, Glenn ought to nonetheless be a prime teaching candidate. After interviewing with the Jets on Jan. 9, Glenn is among the favorites to land the function. Nonetheless, many Jets followers have been vocal about not wanting proprietor Woody Johnson to rent Glenn after Saturday’s loss.
One awful efficiency shouldn’t deter Johnson from hiring Glenn. He checks numerous the packing containers the Jets are on the lookout for as a coach.
Glenn is a tradition builder who, together with Campbell, has circled a Lions group that beforehand struggled, very similar to the Jets have the final 14 seasons they’ve missed the playoffs.
Simply coming into the sport, the Lions had 16 gamers on injured reserve, with 12 on the defensive finish. Detroit has misplaced key gamers resembling go rusher Aidan Hutchinson (damaged leg) and defensive sort out Alim McNeill (knee, torn ACL) all out attributable to harm. Additionally, cornerback Carlton Davis (fractured jaw) and linebacker Derrick Barnes (knee, torn PCL and MCL) additionally suffered season-ending accidents.
Glenn, 52, did properly as a defensive coordinator regardless of having a unit decimated by accidents. Regardless of all their accidents, the Lions completed the season twentieth in complete yards (342.4) and seventh in factors allowed (20.1). That improved from the 2023 season when Detroit allowed 23.2 factors per recreation.
Detroit held 11 groups to twenty factors or fewer this season, together with playoff groups the Rams, Buccaneers, Packers, and the Vikings. The Lions additionally compelled 24 turnovers, and their 16 interceptions have been the fifth most within the NFL.
To not point out, there are all the time three phases of soccer. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw three interceptions and misplaced a fumble towards the Commanders. He completed 23-of-40 passing for 313 yards and a landing, nevertheless it was his fourth recreation this season with a number of interceptions.
“We just didn’t play great, and I mentioned we didn’t complement each other and that’s the same thing. At the end of the day, I didn’t have them ready,” Campbell stated after shedding to the Commanders. “It’s hard to look at it.”
Those that wish to dismiss Glenn’s work constructing the Lions’ protection due to one recreation ought to think about what Dan Quinn has completed in his first season with the Commanders.
Quinn, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator final 12 months, was in an analogous state of affairs as Glenn. Within the wild-card spherical in 2023, Inexperienced Bay destroyed Quinn’s protection 48-32 after permitting 415 complete yards. Dallas was the NFC’s No. 2 seed and was bounced by the seventh-seeded Packers.
Regardless of that, the Commanders nonetheless employed Quinn to assist flip round a franchise that hadn’t received a playoff recreation since 2005, and he did precisely that. Very like Glenn, Quinn is labeled a tradition builder. Now, after a 12-5 file and two playoff wins, Washington is one victory away from its first Tremendous Bowl since 1991.
“I think you learn a number of things from each year that you go through them, and you try to improve on those each year,” Glenn stated. “But the one thing that I get out of all these interviews is, ‘Man, I’m gonna be myself, and either you like it or you don’t.’
“If you don’t, all good. I keep telling you that I have a great job here. If you like it, and it’s an opportunity that I think is best for me and my family, then I’ll take a look at it.
Yes, Glenn has several questions to address, especially since he has no previous head coaching experience. Among those are, what would his coaching staff look like? Who would be Glenn’s offensive coordinator?
But those concerns would have been present whether Glenn’s Lions had defeated the Commanders or not. Fans are often emotional, and we live in a “what have you done for me lately” world. However one unhealthy recreation shouldn’t sink Glenn’s probabilities of changing into a coach.
The Jets, Saints, Bears, Raiders, and Cowboys are all on the lookout for new coaches this offseason. They may do a lot worse than Glenn, who, together with Campbell, has helped flip round a Lions franchise that hadn’t received a playoff recreation earlier than 2023 since 1991, when George H. W. Bush was President of the US.
Initially Printed: January 20, 2025 at 8:54 AM EST
