Jets reporter refutes new claims about Darren Mougey, Aaron Glenn working relationship

New York sports radio legend Mike Francesa raised some eyebrows when he recently reported on his podcast that New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn are "not getting along as well as everybody thinks," in part because Jets owner Woody Johnson has allegedly given more power to Mougey this offseason. 

On Wednesday, Jets reporter Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic poured cold water over Francesa's claims. 

Darren Mougey, Aaron Glenn still have a "partnership" with the Jets

"Glenn still wields significant power," Rosenblatt wrote, "but the truth is it’s a partnership, a true collaboration (contrary to what Mike Francesa would have you believe) — and by all accounts, the two complement each other well."

As  James Kratch shared for EliteSportsNY, Francesa said that he had learned that Mougey and not Johnson was responsible for Glenn not being able to hire Don "Wink" Martindale as the Jets' defensive coordinator earlier this winter. Per Francesa, Mougey decided to bring journeyman Geno Smith back to the Jets to serve as their 2026 Week 1 starting quarterback even though Glenn was allegedly more interested in veteran Kirk Cousins for the role. 

A previous story said that Mougey and Glenn were split on whether or not the club should move on from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers last offseason. 

"Glenn is involved in every decision the Jets make with the roster and pushed this offseason to sign players he was familiar with, and Mougey was involved in Glenn’s process for hiring new coaches this offseason," Rosenblatt explained. 

How the Jets landed on Geno Smith

According to Rosenblatt, "Mougey leaned on new offensive coordinator Frank Reich" and "laid out the quarterback landscape to Reich and what their thinking was." Rosenblatt added that Mougey and Reich "eventually landed on Geno Smith as their best option." 

Glenn will have no reason to publicly say anytime soon whether or not he preferred to work with Cousins over Smith. That said, the portion of Rosenblatt's story regarding how Smith returned to the Jets likely won't do anything to silence takes suggesting that Reich could replace Glenn either after or during the 2026 season.