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The Pittsburgh Steelers open their 2025 campaign Sunday, facing off with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. A matchup that will offer the Steelers unique looks at a Jets’ squad installing not only a new offense centered around ex-Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, but a new head coach in Aaron Glenn. A first-time head coach, he takes over after a successful tenure as Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator. His first matchup comes against the NFL’s longest active coach in Mike Tomlin. A man Glenn holds in high esteem.
“He’s a man who I think every coach looks at and says, ‘Man, I wish my career could be that,’” Glenn said via the Jets’ YouTube channel in a Saturday video. “He hasn’t had a losing season. And my gosh. I mean, that is special. It really is. And I don’t know how many coaches could ever say that….So I’m, I’m looking forward to competing against him in this game, because it’ll tell us exactly where we are as far as a team. I’m looking forward to this.”
One of Mike Tomlin’s most famous sayings is “standard is the standard.” Something Glenn is replicating in his time with the Jets, a team who hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010 and working on its fifth head coach since then.
“Listen, I think every coach tries to create a standard, but you have to ask yourself, what is that standard for yourself?” he said. “And how are you articulating that to your team and for them to be able to believe exactly what you say and how you go about your business. So they say, okay, this is exactly it. And he’s not wavering from that standard at all.
“And I try to make sure I do that and the guys know exactly where I stand with them. And with this team and with everybody as far as the coaching staff. too. And I try to invite that on a daily basis.”
This matchup will of sees the Jets face their former quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who joined the Steelers this offseason. With that, comes an official face-off between Rodgers and Glenn, whose brief time together seemed contentious.
After being released by the Jets, Rodgers went on Pat McAfee’s show and blasted Glenn, saying the coach failed to show “ample respect” in their sit-down. Rodgers said he expected a lengthy meeting to discuss his future with the team. There was no chitchat; instead, he got a pink slip in the first minute. Rodgers also was upset that Glenn made him fly cross-country for the meeting when he felt a phone call would have sufficed.
The Jets and Steelers swapping quarterbacks writes the story for the game on Sunday. Rodgers has the edge in experience, production, and resume. Rodgers is 4-0 all-time against Fields, too. But Fields is dynamic and paired with a head coach who might have new wrinkles for him this weekend.
With Glenn’s defensive background, and Tomlin’s strong career as a defense first coach, Sunday’s matchup has all the makings of a chess match between the two. None have been doing it longer than Tomlin. Glenn hopes to someday reach that sort of stability in New York and win his debut, just as Tomlin did in 2007.
