Jets' Aaron Glenn looking forward to facing Ben Johnson, Bears: 'He's a damn good coach'

Aaron Glenn is on an unintentional reunion tour in Weeks 3 and 4.

The former Lions defensive coordinator returned to Detroit with his New York Jets last week, falling 31-24 to Dan Campbell and Co. This Sunday, Glenn's Jets will face former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears, whom Glenn knows quite well from their many practices spent battling against each other in Detroit.

"We were so competitive in move the ball situations on how we wanted to beat each other, but it made both of us better, I will say that," Glenn said Wednesday about going up against Johnson during Lions practices, via the Jets' official site. "He's a damn good coach."

Those practices were famously competitive. The 2022 season of HBO's "Hard Knocks" featured the Lions, which meant the up-close look at the up-and-coming team would undoubtedly include some footage of these sessions, and Glenn and running backs coach Duce Staley didn't disappoint in their trash talk.

Given how the Lions transformed into a perennial contender in the ensuing seasons, it's no surprise Campbell's lieutenants have taken top jobs elsewhere. One of these two is a step ahead of the other as of now, though: Johnson has a 2025 division title and playoff win on his resume as Bears coach, while Glenn is still working toward transforming the Jets.

"When you have coordinators, offensive and defensive coordinators, you're really planning practice," Glenn said. "You're really planning the things you want to see against each other so the communication between me and him was always outstanding. ... Just talking offensive and defensive football was good to have."

This portion of the Jets' 2026 schedule is either a coincidence or a cruel joke. The connections don't stop here, either; New York faces the Cleveland Browns -- for whom Staley serves as running backs coach -- in Week 5.

It's also serving as a quality test of Glenn's Jets and where they stand in their second year under his direction. Observers will note New York has played much more competitively through three weeks than they did at almost any point in the 2025 season, and if Glenn needed his own measuring stick, he's receiving two in consecutive weeks.

He'll have his hands full this week. Johnson's Bears aren't expected to have budding star quarterback Caleb Williams available due to a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2, but after 38-year-old third-stringer Case Keenum carved up the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, Glenn's Jets might have to prepare for any of Chicago's three quarterbacks, adding more work to his plate.

Glenn isn't going to back down, though. Much like the heated sessions on the practice fields in Michigan, he'll bring his full effort -- primarily because he knows it's required.

"[Johnson] has those guys playing really, really well," Glenn said. "We're looking forward to having a good week of practice and getting ready to go compete against a really good team. Our guys will be ready to do that."