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New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn answering some media questions at the 2025 NFL Combine.
The New York Jets won’t be operating with a full deck of cards when they take the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.
On the final injury report, the Jets ruled out five players. That included: starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, backup quarterback Justin Fields, rookie tight end Mason Taylor, first-year cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, and rookie linebacker Francisco Mauigoa.
Two other players were listed as “questionable”: tight end Stone Smartt and linebacker Cam Jones.
Coach Glenn Has Jokes
At the beginning of head coach Aaron Glenn’s press conference on Friday, December 12, he had a shocking announcement to make.
“Good morning. There is a small group in here today because before I get into these injuries, I think it’s a huge announcement that you guys should hear: at 53 years old, I will be making a comeback. I’ll be getting ready to play in a couple of weeks against Diggs and [Khalil] Shakir in Buffalo,” Glenn says jokingly with a laugh.
There isn’t a player on the Bills roster named Diggs, but he was likely referencing former Buffalo pass catcher Stefon Diggs, who is now with the New England Patriots.
This felt like a multi-pronged joke from Coach Glenn.
Immediately after Glenn said this joke, he revealed a lengthy injury report for the Jets. The green and white could use another body, and even a 53-year-old could help in that regard.
Of course, this week, 44-year-old Philip Rivers announced that he was coming out of retirement to suit up for the Indianapolis Colts. That has a direct impact on where the Colts will finish record-wise, which influences where that pick will be in the first round in 2026.
The Jets own that pick after executing a blockbuster Sauce Gardner trade with Indy ahead of the deadline in November.
Brian Costello of the New York Post told Glenn that he actually played against Rivers in his final season in 2008 as a member of the New Orleans Saints.
“I think that is outstanding,” Coach Glenn responded.
The Most Disappointing Part of the Jets Injury Report
The green and white take the road to play the 9-4 first-place AFC South leading Jaguars. Gang Green is a massive underdog in this contest (13.5 points per Vegas Insider).
Sure, their chances of winning this game have dramatically decreased with the slew of injuries that Coach Glenn announced on Friday.
However, that holds less importance amid a 3-10 start to the year and the team being mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
What really stinks is that this year has shifted focus. Instead of winning games and trying to end the playoff drought, which is no longer a possibility, it was supposed to be about evaluation.
These final four games held important meaning for several of the younger players on the roster. That group certainly included rookies Mason Taylor, Azareye’h Thomas, and Kiko Mauigoa.
With all of them having already been ruled out, older veterans whom we already know will fill their spots. It takes some of the wind out of the sails, especially if the Jets were to get an upset win over Jacksonville.
It would mean more if the team were able to accomplish that because of dynamic plays from young players on the roster, who could then build on it moving forward. Not random veterans who might not be here next season.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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