Aaron Glenn Says Jets Have to Earn Their Primetime Games After Being Shut Out of 2026 Schedule
Aaron Glenn isn’t whining about the Jets getting zero primetime games on the 2026 schedule, and he isn’t going to let his team whine about it either.
“To me, it’s more of you earn the right,” Glenn said when asked about the snub. “You can use that as motivation, but you earn the right.”
That is the right answer from the right coach at the right time.
The Jets are one of five teams completely shut out of primetime in 2026, joining the Cardinals, Dolphins, Raiders, and Titans. Of the 16 Jets games with set times, 14 kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET. The other two are 4:05 p.m. regional broadcasts against the Chargers in Week 11 and the Cardinals in Week 15.
For a team that plays in the largest market in the country, that should sting. It also shouldn’t be surprising.
The Jets are 3-16 in their last 19 night games. Why would the NFL keep handing primetime windows to a team that loses on national TV more often than not? The schedule makers reward winners. New York hasn’t been one for a while.
Glenn’s approach makes sense. Use it as fuel without making it into an excuse. If the Jets win, they can absolutely get flexed into a primetime slot later in the season. The league wants to put winning teams in the late-window slots because that is how you keep ratings up.
Honestly, this might be a quiet blessing.
The Jets have a new coach, a developing roster, and a quarterback situation that needs to settle. Doing all of that under the white-hot lights of Monday Night Football would only amplify the noise. A schedule full of 1:00 p.m. games gives the team space to figure itself out without becoming a primetime laughingstock every other week.
Glenn knows the rebuild is what matters. Schedules will take care of themselves once the team starts winning games.
For Jets fans tired of being a national punchline on Sunday and Monday nights, this 2026 schedule is actually a chance to reset the narrative. Show up. Win some games. Earn the spotlight back.
Glenn is preaching exactly the right gospel. Now the Jets just have to play like it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
