“I’m gonna challenge these guys. I’m not gonna sugarcoat anything,” Aaron Glenn stated at his Jets introductory press conference this spring. “If you want to be here, prove it.”  It was a warning shot. A message intended to rattle a locker room that had gotten too quiet under Robert Saleh and his interim successor, Jeff Ulbrich. And through the first week of camp, Glenn hasn’t had to yell. The real noise? It’s coming from media film rooms, where tight ends are getting dragged, personnel decisions are under fire, and Glenn’s players are learning fast: proof starts now, or you’re on the chopping block.

On Monday’s episode of The Mina Kimes Show, FTN Fantasy Chief Analytics Officer Aaron Schatz went off. He burned the Jets’ tight end group, describing it as “arguably the worst in the league” and openly questioning if any of them deserve to be on the roster. “All of [Mason Taylor’s] backups can’t block,” Lombardi said. “You tell me which one you can trust.” That kind of fire barely three days into camp is precisely the climate Glenn has created. He invited criticism. And now, veterans as well as promising youngsters such as Jeremy Ruckert are experiencing the heat.

It’s not only external noise either. Jets beat reporter Zack Rosenblatt observed that coaches have accelerated the tight ends’ involvement in team installs, but no single tight end has separated himself during padded practices. Ruckert has flashed in scattered red-zone flashes but is still inconsistent in base packages. The unit has done more than underperform—it now personifies everything Glenn warned against: entitlement without production.

And Glenn hasn’t had to utter a word. He’s allowing the tape and the depth chart to do the talking. On Tuesday, after Ruckert dropped a regular out-route in 7-on-7s, he didn’t get yelled at. He merely quietly lost first-team reps. No theatrics, no tirade. Just a change. That’s been the tone of Glenn from day one: critique relentlessly, reward nothing too early. There are no sacred cows on this roster. And the tight end group may just be the first casualty.

Position battles defining Glenn’s first camp

Training camp got underway Tuesday at One Jets Drive, and with it came the most precise portrait yet of Aaron Glenn’s directive: no position is sacred. As he sizes up veterans and rookies in turn, job battles are defining the Jets’ identity. Every snap matters with imminent final cuts facing the roster deadline on September 7. While tight end turmoil dominates the headlines, a few high-stakes wars are playing out quietly and may redefine the 2025 Jets.

Wide Receiver 2 is the flashier and more unpredictable showdown. Allen Lazard, originally brought in to placate Aaron Rodgers, has taken a step back with drops and limited production. Josh Reynolds, acquainted with OC Tanner Engstrand‘s offense, begins camp as the default WR2. But rookie Arian Smith (4th round) and fifth-year pro Tyler Johnson are part of the mix. Smith’s speed has impressed coaches, but his hands are still a question mark. Xavier Gipson and Malachi Corley, both in the dock, will require solid camp showings to remain afloat.

EDGE 2 is up for grabs after Jermaine Johnson‘s PUP designation. On the right side, UDFA 2024 Braiden McGregor and UDFA 2025 Ja’Markis Weston are competing for snaps behind the recovering Johnson. On the left, breakout candidate Will McDonald IV has entrenched EDGE1, but competition behind him is intense. Rashad Weaver carries 36 games of NFL play experience, but rookie Tyler Baron and Eric Watts have shown up in initial drills.

Cornerback 2 battles are similarly tough. With Sauce Gardner signed long-term and D.J. Reed out the door, Brandon Stephens heads up on the right side. Qwan’tez Stiggers and Kris Boyd are alternating first-team reps on the left, while Aaron Glenn is rapidly pushing third-rounder Azareye’h Thomas up the depth chart. Jarrick Bernard-Converse is a wild card, providing versatility throughout the secondary.

Special Teams may take the least fanfare, but the stakes hardly get any lower. Four rookies, Caden Davis and Harrison Mevis (kickers), Austin McNamara and Kai Kroeger (punters) are competing directly after the release of Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead.

Nothing in Glenn’s system is given out. Camp isn’t only a proving ground but also a better place for an audition for survival. Expect him to be throwing out soundbites about biting some kneecaps soon.