Aaron Glenn was supposed to be the voice calling the plays in the New York Jets‘ locker room this season. But if recent reports are anything to go by, someone else might be holding the real authority, and it’s not the head coach. As Geno Smith’s off-field situation continues to draw scrutiny, whispers from Mike Francesa suggest general manager Darren Mougey has been the one steering decisions, not Glenn.

“I just don’t trust them. Did they make some off-the-field moves that were solid?” Mike Francesa said on his show, per Jake Asman’s X post. “Do I feel that there’s now a belief in a general manager who clearly now has usurped the power? Now you’re hearing that everywhere. I said that to you six months ago. Everyone denied it. The Jets denied it. It’s true.

“He’s now running the show. It’s no longer equal. And Glenn knows that, and he has to deal with it. And maybe he will. And maybe he won’t. Maybe Frank Reich will be the coach by week eight. Who knows? I don’t have a lot of faith in that team.”

Back in March, Francesa dropped a pretty telling comment on his podcast, saying the relationship between Glenn and GM Darren Mougey “is not so buddy-buddy.” According to Francesa, owner Woody Johnson has quietly handed Mougey more control than expected, since Johnson himself once introduced Mougey as Glenn’s “sidekick” at their joint press conference.

And Francesa didn’t stop there. He pointed to a couple of moments where Mougey reportedly overruled Glenn entirely. Glenn apparently wanted Wink Martindale as the defensive coordinator, but Mougey shut that down, and the Jets went with Brian Duker instead.

Then there’s the quarterback situation itself, which might be the clearest example yet. Mougey pushed hard for the Geno Smith trade, while Glenn was said to be leaning toward Kirk Cousins, per The Sporting News.

Considering Smith’s performance in Las Vegas last season, and the Jets wanting to look towards a brighter future, it is understandable why Glenn wanted a stable QB under center. He started 15 games for the Raiders under Pete Carroll in 2025 but had a 2-13 record. He threw for 3,025 yards for 19 TDs and a league-high 17 interceptions as the team clearly faltered on its offense. The Raiders moved on with Kirk Cousins and rookie first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza to hopefully turn the page, but the Jets continue to look for answers. Who gives those to the faithful fans remains to be seen.