Todd Bowles wisely keeps player issues private

When it comes to his players on the New York Jets, head coach Todd Bowles keeps everyone in check and handles disciplinary issues in-house and refuses to throw anyone under the bus to the public.

No team is perfect as one can only imagine the tough and strict conversations that happen behind closed doors when it comes to a head coach and his players. It’s not easy but in the grand scheme of things, head coach Todd Bowles has done a solid job in not only keeping his players on the New York Jets focused on the task at hand but also handing out discipline when it’s needed.

In Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bowles benched both defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson and linebacker Darron Lee and deemed both “coaching decisions” as to why they didn’t start the game. It was surprising, to say the least, until after the game when Bowles spoke about it to the media.

As per the Media Relations Department of the Jets, here is what Bowles said about the hot topic of benching two starters to the media shortly after they beat the Chiefs:

More from Jets News

• NY Jets: Why the team should target cornerback Shaquill Griffin
• NY Jets reportedly non-tendering linebacker Harvey Langi
• NY Jets: Why the team should not cut Jamison Crowder
• NY Jets should try to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency
• NY Jets: Jonnu Smith would be a smart free-agent target

On if it is frustrating to have to discipline players and hold them accountable…It’s part of the game, no different than raising your kids – they’re going to do something, and you’re going to be pissed off, but they are still your kids. You love them up the next day and keep it moving.

On what Wilkerson has done to earn trust…Like I said, these are coaching decisions and team rules we go by. I’m not going to sit here and discuss my players in the media.

At the end of the day, Bowles is 100 percent right. While the media can at times push until they get something to write about in their respective outlets, sometimes things are better left unsaid. Such is the case when a head coach realizes that two of his core players violated team rules and had to be held accountable.

What’s done is done and Bowles analyzed it perfectly. It’s very similar to a parent that wants to reprimand their child for misbehaving. One would yell or be very stern with them so they learn a lesson and then after some time, everyone moves on as it’s a teachable moment.

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS: The best in football stats just got better. Elite packages now on sale!

Hopefully, both Wilkerson and Lee learned from this and don’t let it happen again as there are just four games left in the regular season. Bowles, however, was right in keeping things in-house and never revealing what actually transpired despite some media outlets believing it was due to tardiness issues.