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Ranking best landing spots for Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn as head coach and a prediction
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- Ranking best landing spots for Detroit Lions DC Aaron Glenn as head coach and a prediction
The Detroit Lions could face an interesting dilemma this offseason with their two main coordinators under ample consideration for head coaching jobs elsewhere.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are considered two of the top candidates available for the five coaching spots available . Johnson and Glenn have had an outsized role in the Lions ' 15-2 season after returning following coaching interviews last offseason.
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Glenn has been with the Lions as the defensive coordinator since head coach Dan Campbell took over in 2021. The defense took a massive step forward in 2024 after being a weakness the last two years and finished as a top-10 scoring unit despite having more than a dozen players on injured reserve. Glenn also gets a share of the credit for establishing a winning culture in Detroit through his leadership.
Glenn has interviewed with the New Orleans Saints , Chicago Bears , Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets and reportedly the Las Vegas Raiders . Glenn also reportedly turned down an interview with the New England Patriots , who hired Mike Vrabel on Sunday.
Here is a quick ranking of the five openings available and a quick prediction on where Glenn will be for the 2025 season.
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn talks with linebacker Jack Campbell during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars took another step backward in 2024 and finished 4-13 to earn the fifth overall pick and cost Doug Pederson his job.
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Jacksonville struggled defensively despite having some talent like Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker as edge rushers and finished with the 27th-ranked scoring defense and second-to-last in yards prevented. The secondary is a hodge-podge of players who could use coaching, though the personnel may have to change to run Glenn's man coverage-heavy scheme.
Offensively, they have quarterback set for the foreseeable future with Trevor Lawrence and a top receiving option in Brian Thomas Jr. The offensive line and running game overall struggled and will need outside additions.
The Jaguars have 10 picks in the 2025 draft, including six in the first four rounds. According to OverTheCap , Jacksonville has $27.9 million effective cap space this offseason.
Chicago Bears
The Bears finished 5-12 and had a 10-game losing streak in 2024. The wheels finally came off in Detroit on Thanksgiving, leading to Matt Eberflus getting fired.
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The Bears' defense was a large part of the preseason optimism, but the group could not maintain their play from the back half of 2023. There is still talent on that side of the ball in players like Montez Sweat , Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon , to name a few.
Caleb Williams did not have the rookie season expected of him as the No. 1 overall pick, but showcased elite talent in flashes. He has two good receiving options in D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze , though the offensive line and running back room could use some assistance.
According to OverTheCap, the Bears have $54 million in effective cap space for 2025 to go along with eight picks in the 2025 draft.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders finished 4-13 in 2024 after an underwhelming season by nearly all standards. Without a legit option at quarterback, the offense struggled outside of rookie tight end Brock Bowers , who finished as a first-team All-Pro.
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The rest of the offensive talent remains to be desired outside a solid offensive line. Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew were likely stop-gap options at quarterback, while the rest of the receiver core of Tre Tucker and Jakobi Meyers is solid, but nothing to write home about.
Defensively, the Raiders had several injuries to players like Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins . The back seven led a league-average passing defense but players like linebacker Robert Spillane , corner Jack Jones and safety Tre'von Moehrig, but Spillane and Moehrig will be free agents in the offseason.
The Raiders have 10 draft picks, including No. 6, in the 2025 draft. According to OverTheCap , the Raiders have the second-most effective cap space at $85.7 million. The Raiders also will be hiring a new general manager.
New York Jets
Everything that could've gone wrong for New York the last two seasons has, starting with an Achilles injury for Aaron Rodgers . The injury led New York to largely run it back, but the offense was still bad even without Zach Wilson and the defense took a massive step back, leading to a 5-12 finish.
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The Jets will likely have a new quarterback next year along with having to re-tool parts of the offensive line and the skill position depth behind top receiver Garrett Wilson . They have a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen .
Defensively, New York went backward after struggling to replace key contributors. But there is still a treasure trove of talent featuring defensive tackle Quinnen Williams , cornerback Sauce Gardner , linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood and edge rusher Will McDonald.
The Jets own eight picks in the 2025 draft, including the seventh pick. According to OverTheCap , the Jets have $15.3 million in effective cap space. The Jets also will be hiring a new general manager.
New Orleans Saints
Last, we have New Orleans, who were the second team to fire their coach mid-season. The Saints started 2-0 but finished 5-12 after most of the offensive players got hurt.
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Spencer Rattler finished the season at quarterback and did not have top receiving options like Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed available. Alvin Kamara was steady again before he got hurt and they have a good tight end in Taysom Hill .
Defensively, the front seven has aging talent in Cam Jordan and Demario Davis along with Carl Granderson and Pete Werner . They traded Marshon Lattimore , but have two young corners in Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry .
According to OverTheCap, the Saints have negative $57.8 million effective cap space entering the offseason. New Orleans has nine draft picks, including No. 9 overall.
Prediction
In 2025, Glenn will be coaching... the Jets. Glenn is the right type of person the Jets desperately need to fix the culture and has the added benefit of playing for the franchise for the first eight years of his career.
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Owner Woody Johnson's presence is a negative ( look no further than this past season ) but Glenn will be eager to attack the challenge head-on and will have defensive talent to play his preferred style of ball. It wouldn't be shocking if Glenn was coaching any of these five teams in a few months, but it would be if he's back with the Lions.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press . Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ranking best Aaron Glenn landing spots for head coach and a prediction
