Aaron Glenn Grades Jets After Rookie Camp
FLORHAM PARK -- When Aaron Glenn took over as head coach of the New York Jets in January, he built a reputation in the media as a hard-nosed individual who would not tolerate any weakness from his staff or players.
The start of voluntary workouts and rookie minicamp has shown a new side of Glenn.
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Instead of the hard-nosed expectations that have come from the former defensive mastermind, Glenn has shown his teaching side - pushing young players to be better and develop faster than people ever thought they could.
With rookie camp coming to an end Saturday morning, the Jets and Glenn has made one thing clear to the incoming rookie class.
They have already taken their first step in the larger football world.
"Seven draft picks, 15 undrafted free agents, I think we had about 12 tryout guys, so, man, we had guys from like major division one programs, some guys from 1-AA, we had some guys from HBCUs, and I told those guys, it really doesn't matter where you're from... once you get in the building, you have a shot," Glenn said. "Once you get in the building you have a shot, so I thought it was important for them to understand that."
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There will be hundreds of players released over the next few months. Many of those players will be the same undrafted free agents and tryout candidates that the Jets invited over this weekend.
New York has taken a positive step in this direction under Glenn. The rookies have gotten their first taste of professional football.
And it means teaching and developing that young talent in a way that the Jets hope will change their fortunes forever.
Related: Jets 1st-Round Pick Starstruck At $32 Million Rookie Contract
Related: Jets Rookies Detail Hidden Test with Aaron Glenn
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But those occurrences are rare. Just ask Joe Montana and the Chiefs, Joe Namath and the Rams, Johnny Unitas and the Chargers, Warren Moon and the Vikings and Seahawks and Cam Newton and the Patriots. Advertisement Eventually, the magic fades. But it's not the physical decline that should concern the Steelers the most. A team that prides itself on professionalism and discipline, led by the ultimate culture guy in Tomlin, needs only to examine Rodgers' off-field behavior the last three years to realize this is not an ideal fit. Tomlin always preaches, 'The standard is the standard. We're going to do things the Steeler way.' He's all about accountability and team above self — yet he hitched himself to a quarterback notorious for finger-pointing when things go south. Did Pittsburgh forget how Rodgers' time in Green Bay ended? 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But that would require Rodgers to possess a keen focus and unquenchable thirst for winning at all costs and the humility necessary to adapt and alter his approach. If Tomlin thinks he's getting a laser-focused Rodgers who's all about sacrificing for the greater good, he should think again. Sure, Rodgers may have expressed respect during this drawn-out courtship, which seemingly even included Tomlin cutting a deal that let the quarterback skip all but three days of the offseason program. But as he welcomes Rodgers aboard, Tomlin is putting himself and the franchise at great risk. Advertisement League insiders have long regarded Tomlin as a strong leader of men with a knack for managing complicated personalities and getting his charges to exceed expectations and overcome adversity. He draws praise for having never experienced a losing season in 18 years as head coach. However, he'll have to use every management and relationship-massaging trick he's got to prevent Rodgers from taking a stick of dynamite to the Steelers' near pristine culture if things play out poorly. Critics have long said that while Tomlin's avoidance of losing records is remarkable, his unwillingness to evolve in the areas of team operations, staff construction and talent evaluation actually holds the Steelers back. If losses mount and Rodgers makes the same observations about an antiquated approach, he'll certainly pull back the curtain on this boss, as he has on others, and subject a proud franchise to embarrassment. Speaking of relationships, one of the most important ones will be that of the quarterback and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Many league insiders believe that to avoid a combustible situation, Tomlin will give Rodgers freedom to operate as he pleases. It will take work for Smith to align his conservative, run-first philosophies with those of Rodgers, who still views himself as a gunslinger. The two have never worked together. Smith worked under Matt LaFleur, Rodgers' head coach in Green Bay, when LaFleur was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee. And Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth had a brief stint as an offseason teammate of Rodgers' in 2006. But there are no pre-existing ties to ensure this thing remains on track. Blending existing concepts with those of a veteran quarterback isn't easy. Just ask Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich, who spent half of the 2020 season trying to do so for Brady before finding the perfect mix late in that season. And that was while working with the laser-focused Brady and not a quarterback like Rodgers with meandering interests and a strong sense of entitlement. Ideally, Smith would have had all offseason to cultivate a relationship with his quarterback and integrate his favorite concepts and plays into the Steelers' playbook. The two could have experimented, massaged and tweaked throughout the offseason. But instead, they will receive one three-day on-field stretch together before reconvening for training camp. Advertisement How will Rodgers respond if the offense sputters, should he and Smith clash? Will he eventually go rogue and get into on-field trouble while overestimating his declining physical gifts? And then there's chemistry with teammates. Unlike the Jets' experiment, Pittsburgh isn't going out to get as many hand-picked former Packers for Rodgers. Instead, he will have to start from scratch on Tuesday and continue throughout training camp. And even then, will it be enough? If he threw Jets teammates he'd known for nearly two years under the bus, what will he do to Pittsburgh players he hardly knows? Will Tomlin and Steelers owner Dan Rooney be able to stomach weekly outlandish comments from their quarterback on McAfee's show? Pittsburgh's desperation for a deep playoff run is real — so real it feels like the usually conservative Tomlin and Steelers were willing to ignore a dozen red flags, including that they were nowhere close to his first choice. But maybe things will not go as disastrously as they could. Maybe Rodgers will change his stripes and be the model teammate and ultimate professional — a big maybe. He doesn't make the Steelers better than the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. He might not even have the capability to carry Pittsburgh past Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. We won't even talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. So, is this soul-selling dance worth it? There's no Super Bowl run left in this version of Aaron Rodgers. If we're being honest, the best realistic scenario involves this experiment going woefully wrong, and at last, the Steelers find themselves in position to draft a top-flight quarterback. At worst, Rodgers and the Steelers labor through another season and finish a tick above .500 — as is customary — only to remain stuck in football purgatory with no clear path out.
