Aaron Glenn says he and Ben Johnson made each other better as coaches

Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson will face each other on Sunday when the Jets and Bears clash, despite having never met in a game before. The two have spent four years together on the Lions coaching staff, with Glenn handling the defense and Johnson overseeing the offense. Glenn credits their competitive relationship during practice sessions for their individual growth.

"We were so competitive in move the ball situations on how we wanted to beat each other, but it made both of us better," Glenn stated. Johnson is recognized as a "damn good coach" by Glenn, who valued the opportunity to pick his brain and collaborate on practice scheduling. "When you have coordinators, offensive and defensive coordinators, you're really planning practice," Glenn explained.

"You're really planning the things you want to see against each other so the communication between me and him was always outstanding." Both men departed Detroit in 2025, with Johnson emerging as a more successful head coach. He has a 13-7 regular season record, achieved a playoff win last year, and has positioned Chicago for a playoff run this season.

In contrast, Glenn has a less impressive 4-16 track record as the Jets' coach and is facing potential job security issues. Glenn hopes to start the season on a positive note with an advantage of facing his former colleague.