Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Jets QB Search Continues (October 13, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the New York Jets’ ongoing quarterback crisis following another demoralizing loss and a season that's landed them at a dismal 0-6 start. Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg dissect the state of the franchise, the (lack of) progress under head coach Aaron Glenn, Justin Fields’ struggles at quarterback, the front office’s long-term plan, and the increasing frustration among fans. Callers join in to vent, and the crew compares the Jets’ predicament to other NFL rebuilds, questioning what it will really take to end the team’s perpetual misery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Hosts in Different Places

• Hahn reports from Columbus, OH for NHL duties, Alan from MSG, and Rosenberg, freshly back from Australia, in the studio.

• Banter on their unique locations and personal moments sets the tone for a lively, candid hour.

  “I've got Devils and Blue Jackets and fresh from Perth, Australia is Peter Rosenberg and he's in the studio in New York. So, Alan, we've got it all covered, all angles covered here today.” – Don (01:09)

2. Jets Doom Spiral: Coach and QB Woes

Coach Aaron Glenn’s Future and the Franchise’s “Plan”

• Jets are sticking with first-year coach Aaron Glenn due to a five-year, lucrative contract.

• Don insists, “I don't think Woody Johnson under any stretch of the imagination is firing this guy in year one of a five-year contract… So buckle up guys, this is where we're headed. He's learning on the job. It's been painful… But this is what it is guys.” (02:40)

• Drawing parallels to Bill Parcells’ and Dan Campbell’s rough first seasons.

  “This is everything that the jets told you. It was going to be a work in progress. And boy, they were not wrong.” – Alan (03:24)

Justin Fields: Out of Chances?

• Initial week one hope (32 points) has evaporated; Fields has regressed weekly and is labeled the worst in the league by the crew.

• Defenses have adjusted to Fields; his lack of development and “processing” is slammed by all.

• The consensus: Fields is only still playing because ownership wants to please WR Garrett Wilson – not because they want to win immediately.

  “He's the worst quarterback in the league. Did either of you think we were looking potentially at that?” – Peter (08:52)

  “It's a guy that looks like he doesn't know what's going on in front of him.” – Don (09:27)

  “If they were trying to win...Tyrod Taylor is commanding the drive...but that doesn't help their long term health because...winning is certainly not the priority there. The priority there is to learn on the fly.” – Alan (06:50)

3. Fan Frustration Boils Over

• Fans call in, venting exhaustion, disbelief, and sadness at the endless rebuild.

  “This is supposed to be something you enjoy, guys… When in God's name out are we gonna be happy, man? I, I just, I'm so sick that it's October and this is what we're dealing with. Again, man, again.” – Danny (20:39)

  “I feel you. It's exactly why I let go this season. And I'm telling you like it. The worst day was when Rodgers' Achilles snapped because you just. That was the last time you felt like any real optimism about what the team could be...” – Don (21:24)

• Alan warns about the effect inside the locker room:

  “You're developing a coach, but you're not developing a quarterback...you don't want that cancer going through the room. You saw the way Garrett Wilson reacted at the end of the first half. Players are not going to want to continue to lose games.” (22:20)

4. Long-Term Outlook: Hoping for a Real Rebuild

• Several analogies to the Detroit Lions’ turnaround; the implication is Jets fans face a similar multi-year process.

• Rosenberg muses about the feeling of being cursed, referencing his own experience as a Washington fan (“I got RG3. It was over...And then...Torn Achilles. It starts to get just like I need out cursed.”) (29:53)

• Skepticism about whether even a regime change or top draft pick is enough unless a “real quarterback” is found.

  “You can't get angry because you got to expect this is a three year deal.” – Ira, caller (27:55) “And it's sad because a lot of fans will say, you know, you're telling us to be patient and wait. It's all we've been, we've been patient and we've been waiting.” – Don (28:08)

5. What's Next at Quarterback & Roster Moves

• The team must watch college QBs closely, with Don starting the “Less for Moore” campaign for Oregon’s Dante Moore.

  “Now you got no Peter, here's the, here's the news. Here's the new slogan for the year. Less for more. Dante Moore, Oregon, number one pick. There you go. Mel Kuiper says best player in the draft...Less is more. Who's with me?” – Don (35:01)

• Pointed discussion on whether the Jets should move on from veterans like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall to stockpile picks, as true contention is not near-term.

  “You went out and got him a contract. You went and got Sauce Gardner a contract. They can't be happy right now...Are you start looking around to see if you can get something for those guys?” – Alan (13:47)

6. Wider NFL and Organizational Comparisons

• Bengals, Giants, Patriots discussed as counterpoints:

  • The Bengals “aren't a great, not a well run franchise at all. But they have a good coach and they have the quarterback. ...The quarterback makes everybody else look good. It's the ultimate deodorant.” – Don (33:34)
  • The Patriots may have found their guy, highlighting Jets fans’ agony (32:07-32:19).

• Coaching carousel and patience versus impatience for first-year/young coaches, with comparatives to Bill Parcells, Dan Campbell, Todd Bowles, and Robert Saleh.

  “Some coaches are great immediately. Some coaches, it takes a little time. Took some time for Parcells that first year. Todd Bowles looks like he's finally found his groove...it takes time, but Jet fans don't want time. They've been sold the bill of goods for so long.” – Alan (43:00)

7. Notable Callers and Fan Reactions

• Callers Danny, Ira, Vinnie, and David each lament coaching and quarterback failures, with Vinnie highlighting the need for “a competent head coach” over any single player (39:11).

  “Unless you bring a competent head coach here, you can have Joe Montana being the quarterback and it's not gonna work.” – Vinnie (39:11)

• David calls for either an offensive genius or “tyrant” type coach to overhaul discipline and culture (46:05).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Justin Fields’ play:
  “I'm almost impressed at how bad he is. I almost enjoy being this wrong…” – Peter (08:31)
• On why the Jets keep rolling Fields out:
  "I don't think there's a future with Justin Fields as a Jets quarterback. Which now makes you go. Two things from Darren Muji. Number one, we got to start watching a lot of college football..." – Alan (11:54)
• Fan despair:
  “The lonely Lombardi still sits there because there's still nobody strong enough to just to clean the stink off this franchise." – Don (21:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:24 – Alan on the reality of the Jets’ plan (“...this is what it is, guys.”)
• 06:16 – Reason for Jets’ week one outburst and how defenses adjusted
• 08:52 – Peter: “He’s the worst quarterback in the league...”
• 13:47 – Alan: Debates value in keeping stars like Garrett Wilson
• 20:39 – Danny’s passionate fan call on QB play and despair
• 27:55 – Ira’s skepticism about future QB prospects and trust in the front office
• 35:01 – Don launches “Less for Moore” (Dante Moore) campaign
• 39:11 – Vinnie caller: “Unless you bring a competent head coach here...”
• 43:00 – Alan urges patience, citing Parcells, Campbell, and Bowles

Conclusion

Hour 1 of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" functions as a catharsis for depressed Jets fans and a case study in the compounded futility of poor quarterback play, first-time coaching, organizational drift, and decades-long suffering. The hosts offer historical perspective, rue missed opportunities, and, while at times resigned, urge fans to ride out what promises to be another long march toward NFL relevance. The ultimate message: Without a true quarterback – and organizational competence – little else matters.