FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets took an unusual but well-researched approach to Day 3 of training camp practice.
They rested.
Glenn mapped out the team's practice schedule this summer by incorporating analytics and sports science, trying to maximize the production on the field while also giving his players ample time to properly recover physically off it.
“What my job is as a coach is, I understand the acclimation from the NFL
as far as you go from the offseason, then now you’re in no pads to try to get into pads, and I truly understand that,” Glenn said Thursday after the Jets' second practice of camp. “But my job is to acclimate our players to get ready for the regular season.”
The Jets reported for camp on Tuesday, then had two practices and were off the field Friday, although the team was still doing classroom work and meetings. They'll be back on the field Saturday, then the players will have a full day off Sunday before returning for two more practices.
It's a far cry from the rigorous two-a-day camp practices the 54-year-old Glenn endured during a 15-year NFL playing career.
To kick off Glenn's first training camp as a head coach last summer, the Jets practiced the first four days after reporting, had one day off, practiced two days, had another day off and then were back on the field for three straight days.
But it's becoming more common around the league for teams to lean on analytics, artificial intelligence and sports science to try to improve, prepare and avoid injuries.
“I showed (the players) a graph to where the first week, the highest amount of reps we get is 24 reps and then we’re going to recover, then we’ll bring it down,” Glenn said. “So, we had two practices on (the field) and then we bring it down for recovery, and then it jumps back up. So, the next week, the highest amount of reps we’ll have is 32, all right, and then we’ll recover again. Then the next week, the highest amount of reps will be 40.
"So what I’m trying to do is get our guys to be ready to play 65 to 75 plays a game and that’s my job as a coach to be able to do that.”
The Jets, looking to bounce back from a 3-14 season, hired Iwao Fusillo as their chief data and analytics officer in January to help, along with director of analytics and strategy Sean Clement, unify football analytics, business intelligence and application development throughout the organization.
General manager Darren Mougey is already seeing the benefits of using analytics and artificial intelligence to help evaluate the Jets' roster, along with those of the other teams around the league and college players.
“It’s a different lens,” Mougey said. “It’s been very helpful, it’s important. On the AI front to this point is what it’s helped with the most is the automation of things. We’re saving a lot of man hours being able to automate information and systems and spit it out quickly. So, it’s been huge and I look forward to the continued growth as an organization with the AI and analytics.”
Meanwhile, Alexander Carnall, the team’s sports science coordinator since 2024, collaborates with Erik Korem, the Jets’ director of player performance, and head strength and conditioning coach Corey Smith and their staffs and the trainers to maximize the on-field work.
The Jets are scheduled to have at least 15 full practices in training camp, including hosting two joint sessions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before their preseason opener on Aug. 14. New York will be at Pittsburgh on Aug. 21, then host the Giants on Aug. 28. The Jets open the regular season on the road against former coach Robert Saleh and the Titans in Tennessee on Sept. 13.
“So each week, you’ll start to see those reps go up, you start to see that yardage that they have to have, and that’s the analytics part of it, yardage will go up also,” Glenn said. “And that’s what I try to create. So when you see the day off and the days on, you’ll see it go like this here (points up).
"And that’s the reason why, man, I’m trying to get max reps, then I’m trying to recover. Max reps, then recover.”
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