Aaron Glenn has sent one simple message since joining the NY Jets as head coach: there’s no excuse when it comes to performance, and he will be ruthless in making adjustments. This time, a 2024 receiver is at the receiving end. Remember Malachi Corley? The wideout who walked into Florham Park last year like he’d already written his Canton bust? The same rookie who reportedly told Davante Adams that if he wanted the No. 17 jersey, it’d cost him $120,000. From a third-round pick who hadn’t caught a pass yet, entitlement is one thing. Holding out on a future Hall of Famer with that kind of price tag? That’s a different stratosphere of delusion.

And if that wasn’t enough, Corley also didn’t want to play special teams. “I’m a starter,” he thought. But the coaches thought otherwise. Now fast forward to Glenn’s roster trim. Garrett Wilson is untouchable. Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, Arian Smith, Jamaal Pritchett, and Quentin Skinner all carve out spots. Allen Lazard, even with a bad shoulder, gets stashed on IR. And Corley? He’s nowhere to be found.

It’s not just the stat sheet, though it hasn’t exactly been flattering. It’s tone, effort, and how he fits into the locker room. Glenn and Darren Mougey are trying to reset the culture. You can’t sell grit and growth while keeping a player whose rookie-year highlight was haggling with Adams like a street vendor. Could Corley resurface somewhere else? Sure. Talent still buys you a second look in this league.

But the Jets were desperate at receiver and still didn’t see him as worth the trouble. That says more than any depth chart could. Aaron Glenn has bigger problems: Justin Fields’ development, an offensive line still learning each other’s names, and a defense stretched thin on the edge. But cutting Corley? That was the easy part. Because if there’s one thing this franchise has learned the hard way, it’s this. You can’t afford passengers when you’re already playing catch-up in the AFC.

While the receiver room is almost set, the coach is yet to finalize the QB depth.

Aaron Glenn might have decided his QB2

The Jets’ preseason finale told us more about their quarterback anxiety than their actual quarterback depth. Brady Cook got the first crack against Philadelphia. He looked steady in stretches, but one interception and just three points on the board isn’t exactly the resume of a QB2. Adrian Martinez? He brought juice late, nearly dragged the Jets into a comeback, but two turnovers erased any chance of a hero narrative.

And here’s the thing. None of it really matters for Week 1. Aaron Glenn shut down the speculation the moment he updated Tyrod Taylor’s status. “I’m confident he’ll be ready,” Glenn said after the game. Taylor, 36, isn’t flashy anymore. He’s not going to light up defenses or resurrect his Pro Bowl days. But he’s a stabilizer. A grown-up in the room behind Justin Fields, who still has plenty to prove.

That’s why the Cook vs. Martinez duel feels like preseason noise more than substance. At best, one of them earns a QB3 slot. Neither has taken a regular-season NFL snap. Both looked like developmental lottery tickets rather than immediate answers.

The bigger question isn’t whether Taylor is healthy by Week 1. It’s how healthy he can stay through Week 17. Because if Fields misses any time and Taylor’s knee doesn’t hold, the Jets are one bad break away from throwing their season into the hands of a rookie who just turned the ball over twice against Philadelphia’s backups.

Taylor being ready is a sigh of relief. But let’s be clear. It’s not a solution. It’s a delay. And if the Jets’ season comes down to Cook or Martinez taking meaningful snaps? That’s a script Aaron Glenn doesn’t want anywhere near his debut year.