FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darren Mougey insisted this wasn’t “a teardown.” Aaron Glenn reiterated that the New York Jets will be a team that makes the fans proud.But a day after trading two of the biggest stars in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, it was clear the Jets are in a major rebuild during which patience will need to precede pride.“It was a pretty intense day,” Glenn acknowledged Wednesday.And for many of the players, coaches and fans, a stunning and sad one. Gardner was traded to Indianapolis on Tuesday for a first-round draft pick in 2026 and another in 2027, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. A few hours later, Williams was dealt to Dallas for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round selection in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.Gardner and Williams were thought to be key parts of the foundation that both Glenn and Mougey are trying to set for the Jets’ future while attempting to return the franchise to respectability.“When an opportunity presents itself for us to be able to build this team, it’s hard to pass it up,” Glenn said. “Listen, those two guys are great players, we all know that. All-Pro players. The one constant in this league is change. “And I’ve said that to all our players, not just today but throughout this season, that this is a fluid game. Players come and go. Coaches come and go. But the one thing I do know is with change, there comes opportunity.”While both Gardner and Williams are now on teams trying to reach the playoffs, the 1-7 Jets are likely going to miss the postseason for the 15th straight year. And that was clear even before the franchise-altering moves.“I wouldn’t call it a teardown,” Mougey said Tuesday, a few hours after the trades. When Glenn was hired, he preached patience and the process. That has been a tough sell to the fanbase, though. And now they have to watch their team play out the string of the last nine games without two of their best players, first-round picks who were once symbols of hope.“Nothing different than I’ve been saying,” Glenn said of what he’d say to frustrated fans. “Listen, I want this to be a team that th …
