Simply put, Phillips’ message is that losing begets more losing, and he’s backing Glenn because he believes the head coach has the approach and demeanor to change the mindset of a franchise now reeling from 10 straight losing campaigns.
A veteran defensive tackle who was traded to the Jets from the Minnesota Vikings just before the start of the season, Phillips has played just one year with New York and under Glenn. He made 60 tackles in 17 starts in a 3-14 season.
In four years with the Buffalo Bills and then three with the Vikings, Phillips’ worst season was a 6-10 rookie campaign. He has been to the playoffs five times.
“This season tested me,” he said. “Starting 0-7 and winning only three football games was very difficult.”
So, as Phillips defends Glenn, he still understands and sympathizes with the players who are unfortunately used to the struggle.
“Other players have gone through this season after season after season,” he said. “It can really hurt you and you say, ‘I’ve got to go get mine because this coach is going to be fired, and that means a new coach is going to come in and that means I’m going to be fired and I’m going to be cut and replaced and new staff and new people,’ so you start protecting your own.” And when a newbie comes into an organization and the vets are just showing him optimism about you here. organization.
“It’s changing. We’re bringing in great people who understand what winning looks like, understand what sacrifice looks like, understand what championships look like. And like I said, I believe in that.”
Free agency looms in March, followed by the 2026 NFL Draft, where the Jets claim the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks. However, it has already been busy recently, with the addition of Frank Reich as offensive coordinator and Brian Duker as defensive coordinator.
Through a season that featured far more ups than downs, Philips praised Glenn’s consistency through the storm. That reliability is among the main reasons why Phillips wholeheartedly believes his head coach is the right man for the Jets job.
“I think that consistency, as well as jumping from year 1 to year 2 as a head football coach,” Philips told Roundtable Sports. “More of his people in the building, more of his thumb on the culture. I think we’ve got to win more games.”