Coffee with the Jets: Status of Todd Bowles if McCown starts

A loyal reader asks if head coach Todd Bowles would be on the hot seat if the New York Jets end up starting Josh McCown at quarterback in Week 1. Time to analyze over an iced cup of coffee.

Since the New York Jets haven’t had an established franchise quarterback for decades now, it tends to be a usual topic every offseason. This time around, it’s a case of history repeating itself. The Jets are hoping one of their young quarterbacks emerge as their next franchise player under center but also have a veteran that can step in if needed and be a game manager.

In case you didn’t know, my Coffee with the Jets series is a great outlet that lets me talk football with my loyal readers. Every now and then I ask for questions to be submitted via my personal Twitter account to answer right here on The Jet Press.

Today’s question comes from Kyle, here is what he asked:

@LTJ81 @TheJetPress Do you think it would be cause for firing if Todd Bowles goes into the year starting McCown?

— Kyle Fahey (@KyleFaheyNFL) May 26, 2017

Thanks for your question, Kyle! To be honest, I see the job of head coach Todd Bowles safe no matter what happens with the Jets this upcoming season. Even if they win two games in 2017, the general consensus is that the Jets are rebuilding and will look at player progression over the final standings.

If for some reason Josh McCown ends up winning the open quarterback competition in training camp, yeah, the Jets will be in some serious trouble. While McCown has incredible leadership and a plethora of experience, he’s a pretty bad quarterback when it comes to his on-the-field production.

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Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are in a position to showcase their talents respectively and well, it’s presumed that one of them should be able to beat out McCown.

If they can’t, that will speak volumes to their overall progress so far with the Jets. If they can’t beat out McCown now, their future doesn’t look so good when it comes to job security on the Jets.

But again, if McCown puts on a clinic during training camp and solidifies himself as the clear-cut winner to start come Week 1, Bowles won’t be on any “hot seat” in the grand scheme of things. He’s in the business to win football games and well, going with a veteran over young quarterbacks who aren’t ready to start just means he’s doing what is right with the most important position on the team.

If McCown starts to stink it up and play terrible, the Jets will more than likely play rotating chairs at quarterback and start the others sooner than people think. Either way, Bowles is safe and will more than likely be kept for at least another year or two to see what he can do with all the younger players who by then, will be properly coached, trained, and developed to play up to their potential.