The New York Jets have been a massive disappointment in their first season under Adam Gase, but the head coach is going to get another chance to prove himself in 2020.
On Wednesday, Jets owner Christopher Johnson told reporters Gase is not going to be fired during or after the season no matter what unfolds over the final seven weeks. He cited Gase’s relationship with quarterback Sam Darnold as one of the main reasons he plans to keep the coach around.
#Jets owner Christopher Johnson spoke to a group of reporters out at practice. He said there will be NO changes at head coach before or after season.
Adam Gase will be back in 2020.
No matter what
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) November 13, 2019
#Jets owner Christopher Johnson was adamant in his defense of head coach Adam Gase. Said he believes in him. Loves his relationship with Darnold. It is not conducive to change systems year after year.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) November 13, 2019
That should certainly take some of the pressure off Gase and potentially Jets players down the stretch. However, it is at least somewhat surprising given the team’s 2-7 record.
While it is rare for an NFL coach to be fired after one season on the job, many believe Gase was the wrong hire for the Jets to begin with. Some fans have gone out of their way to show how fed up they are with the way the team has played under Gase, but ownership is not going to be influenced by fan frustration — at least not yet.
Gase appeared to be having problems with the Jets’ front office immediately after he was hired, and there were rumblings that he was unhappy with the way the team spent some of its money in free agency. He should have more influence over the draft process and roster this offseason, so this may be the team’s way of giving him a chance to prove he knows what he is doing from a personnel standpoint.
