Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn opted not to interview with the New England Patriots, despite their request.
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is going to have a busy weekend full of head coach interviews, but one team who wanted to meet with Glenn won’t have that chance. According to several sources (first reported by Tom Pelissero), Glenn has turned down the interview request from the New England Patriots.
Per various reports, Glenn has interviews with five of the six head coach openings this weekend:
- New York Jets: Thursday, Jan. 9 (PM)
- New Orleans Saints: Friday, Jan. 10 (AM)
- Las Vegas Raiders: Friday, Jan. 10 (PM)
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Saturday, Jan. 11 (AM)
- Chicago Bears: Saturday, Jan. 11 (PM)
It’s unclear why Glenn turned down the Patriots’ request, but there are certainly some prevailing theories. The first is the most simple: he’s too busy. That’s a jam-packed interview schedule for Glenn, and it would be difficult for him to do the necessary research to perform an informed interview for six different teams in a span of three days.
Another popular theory is that Glenn may believe he doesn’t have a realistic chance at the job. Former Titans coach (and former Patriots linebacker) Mike Vrabel is currently considered a heavy favorite to land the job. New England has already interviewed Vrabel, Byron Leftwich, and Pep Hamilton. They are also scheduled to interview Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday.
Whatever the reason is, it appears that Glenn and Johnson have settled on the teams they will interview in this first wave of virtual meetings. Johnson will talk with the Patriots, Raiders, Bears, and Jaguars over the next few days.
You can see all of the interviews Lions coaches are taking in our 2025 NFL coaching carousel tracker.
