Report: The Jets Are Even More Dysfunctional Than We Thought
Firing a General Manager after letting him draft a franchise quarterback, hire a coach, spend $191 million in free agency, including a running back that coach doesn’t want, then naming said head coach the owner met four months ago the interim GM and putting him in charge of hiring the new GM? Every time you think the New York Jets couldn’t get any New York Jetsier, the NY Daily News drops a gem like this, detailing the absolute, House Baratheon-level chaos going on behind the palace walls:
General manager Mike Maccagnan, top lieutenant Brian Heimerdinger, agent Erik Burkhardt and [Christopher] Johnson had wine over dinner, exploring the possibilities of landing former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, while Todd Bowles twisted in the wind for the final month of a four-win campaign, according to sources.
The clumsy plan was part of a larger, flawed strategy by Johnson that included back-channel conversations with more established coaching candidates during the same time frame, unbeknownst to Maccagnan.
Johnson’s series of stealth, reckless actions in the past six months have prompted decision makers across the NFL to question the leadership of this star-crossed outfit. …
The Jets CEO and Chairman didn’t only go behind Bowles’ back during the final month or so of the season. He also strategically kept Maccagnan in the dark. …
Johnson’s interest in Kingsbury was fueled, in part, by TV personality/sideline reporter Peter Schrager, according to sources. …
Adam Gase has been running the GM search. The head coach has personally reached out to each candidate to make his pitch, sources said. Gase’s role is similar to Charley Casserly from the last search, minus the consultant fee. Johnson will have to sign off on Gase’s preferred choice.
It’s fair for prospective general manager candidates to wonder what they’re walking into on One Jets Drive.
Holy moly. As entertaining as I thought this whole story was, right from the Draft when Maccagnan was calling all the team’s picks and then handing the phone to assistant coaches, scouts, the custodian – anybody but Adam Gase – to him getting fired around Mother’s Day and then Gase giving his insane press conference where he denied knowing about it … it’s more entertaining than that. This is a dysfunction personified. Bedlam, writ large. Pandemonium in football front office form. An ape enclosure at the zoo with poop being flung in every direction would do a better job of running a franchise than the actual people actually calling the shots in New York right now. It’s one of those situations where you realize the men who lost their jobs are the ones who got off easy. It’s one of those “the living envy the dead” scenarios.
I’m still joining the rest of America in hoping the Oakvegas Raiders get picked to be on “Hard Knocks.” But if we’re treated to even a little bit of this, this team would be a nice consolation prize. Don’t ever change, Jets.