Since the day Sam Darnold lifted the Lombardi with the Seattle Seahawks, the league has buzzed with chatter about a quarterback once labeled a bust with the New York Jets finally making it to the mountaintop. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman cut straight to the heart of the matter, explaining exactly what’s broken in Gang Green.

“Sam [Darnold] was in a situation with the New York Jets where I don’t know that it would have mattered who was playing quarterback in that organization, and it hasn’t mattered much in a number of years,” Aikman said on The Troy Aikman Show.

Context is everything here. The Cowboys legend was asked if the people surrounding a quarterback truly make or break a team’s success. Aikman didn’t hesitate, drawing from his own career to show how one key hire changed everything for him.

Before offensive coordinator Norv Turner arrived, Aikman had a 0-11 record in his rookie season. But when Turner joined in 1991, the Cowboys surged to the playoffs that year, falling short in the divisional round. They then won back-to-back Super Bowls in ‘92 and ‘93. The lesson is clear: elite coaching and supporting players are essential for any quarterback to lead a team to glory. Something the Jets organization has sorely lacked.

The franchise hasn’t had a steady signal-caller since legendary quarterback Joe Namath in the late 1960s. Yet it’s not just quarterback woes; other factors like poor coaching and support have held back talent that could sling the ball with the best.

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Take Sam Darnold, for instance. The former USC star was a top prospect in the 2018 Draft after leading the Trojans for two years and capping it with a Pac-12 championship in his final season. He lands with the Jets in New Jersey, and his wins plummet to just four as a rookie.

Now obviously, the pro game is a far tougher arena than college football, no doubt. But a similar story unfolded with quarterback Zach Wilson, the BYU standout who slumped to only 13 wins during his time with the Jets.

Even Aaron Rodgers faced the same fate there. He posted a dismal 5-12 record in the 2024 season with the Jets. A sharp drop from his performance with the Steelers this year. These patterns are impossible to ignore, all pointing to deep-rooted issues in the Jets’ coaching staff.

The Jets cycle through coaches, pulling the whole franchise down

The Jets have burned through 22 head coaches since their inception in 1960. In the 2024 season, head coach Robert Saleh was fired after a 2-3 start, with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich stepping in as interim. Even then, the Jets managed just three more wins under Ulbrich, proving owner Woody Johnson’s midseason gamble didn’t pay off.

Johnson then bet big on Aaron Glenn, the new head coach with a strong defensive background. But the defense collapsed under Glenn, ranking 31st in points allowed and 25th in yards this past season. A far cry from their 2024 rankings of 20th in points and third in yards.

Glenn was hired to flip the script, but the struggles went beyond defense. The offense cycled through three different quarterbacks and limped to just three total wins. They couldn’t even crack 10 points in three games, capping the regular season with five straight losses.

Still, Glenn is hitting reset. He’s overhauled the entire coaching roster ahead of the upcoming season. The big question lingers: Can this shake-up finally revive a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the postseason in 15 long years?

That remains to be seen.