Aaron Glenn started his recent press conference with a joke that felt too real for a moment. Before anyone could ask a question, the 53-year-old stepped to the podium and announced that he was making an NFL comeback. It lasted only a few seconds, but it lit up the room and landed as a perfectly timed jab at a very real storyline involving one of his former opponents.

“I think it’s a huge announcement that you guys should hear. At 53 years old, I’ll be making a comeback… getting ready to play in a couple of weeks against Diggs and Shakir in Buffalo,” Aaron Glenn joked.

The room broke as Glenn laughed, turning what could have been a routine injury update into the moment of the day. The joke was aimed squarely at Philip Rivers, whose stunning unretirement and unexpected signing with the Indianapolis Colts have shaken the league. 

He then reminded reporters that he actually faced Rivers in 2008, the last year Glenn played in the NFL. Glenn ended his 15-year playing career that season, finishing as a three-time Pro Bowl corner and a respected veteran before moving into coaching.

“Yeah, I did,” he said with a grin, calling it “outstanding” that their paths had once crossed.

His lighthearted moment also contrasted sharply with the chaos now gripping the Colts. Rivers, 44, was pulled back into action after injuries to Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, and Riley Leonard left Indianapolis without a healthy quarterback. His return comes as the Colts stagger from a blowout loss and prepare for a brutal matchup in Seattle, against a defense that hasn’t conceded an offensive touchdown in two games.

Meanwhile, Glenn’s Jets sit at 3-10 and face Jacksonville on Sunday, but their coach made sure the buildup started with humor rather than angst. His “announcement” wasn’t real, but the timing, the delivery, and the sly nod to Rivers’ improbable comeback made it unforgettable.

But once the jokes ended, the Jets’ real quarterback problems came back into focus.

Jets turn to undrafted rookie Brady Cook

A single injury report can reshape a franchise’s Sunday in real time. The Jets experienced this week, as head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that undrafted rookie Brady Cook will start against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s not a long-term plan, just the only one left standing.

The decision became unavoidable once both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields were ruled out, as neither practiced this week due to Taylor’s groin injury and Fields’ knee soreness. That left Cook, who entered last week’s loss to Miami in emergency relief, as the lone healthy option. Glenn announced on Friday, pairing it with a vote of confidence.

“He has had a chance to get all the reps with the ones… I have all the confidence in the world,” Glenn said.

Cook’s path to this moment has been rapid. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri, he threw for 9,008 yards and 49 touchdowns in college but arrived in New York as a developmental arm. He was promoted from the practice squad twice this season but didn’t play until Week 14, when he stepped in after Taylor went down. His debut was a mixed showing, 14-of-30 for 163 yards and two interceptions, as he was sacked a total of six times.

Now he becomes the 55th quarterback to start a game in Jets history and the first undrafted rookie to do so since 1975. Adrian Martinez, signed earlier this week, will serve as the backup.

The challenge could hardly be more formidable. The Jets travel to face the 9-4 Jaguars, a team vying for playoff seeding, while New York sits at 3-10 and seeks stability. What Cook offers them now is simple: a healthy arm. Sunday becomes his audition, and for a franchise running out of answers, that’s enough to make it meaningful.