New York Jets

By maintaining Todd Bowles, GM, the Jets are heading toward another disappointing year

Published Jan. 1, 2017 5:37 p.m. ET

Dieter Kurtenbach

It all fell apart for the New York Jets in the 2016 season. Frankly, looking back on the futility of the campaign, it was amazing that they won five games.

The Jets' futility wasn't all coach Todd Bowles' fault — he deserves plenty of blame, as he did a poor job this season, but he was given a flawed roster.

And the Jets' futility wasn't all general manager Mike Maccagnan's fault either — no roster is perfect, but did you see how Bowles coached his guys up this season?

But after a year where almost nothing went right, the Jets' ownership is content with the status quo.

Neither man will be out of a job come Monday — after the Jets' win over the Bills (who fired their head coach earlier this week), the team confirmed that both Bowles and Maccagnan will be retained for next year.

And with that, the Jets are looking far more likely to open the 2018 NFL Draft than to play in Super Bowl LII.

Bowles, frankly, could not have done a worse job in the 2016 season. He's by all accounts a nice man and a hard worker, but under his watch, the Jets were an NFL laughingstock this season.

His handling of the team's quarterback situation — not benching Ryan Fitzpatrick, despite the veteran having a 5-to-11 touchdown to interception ratio after six games, and then letting him play again after his backup was injured (Fitz played in 14 games this year) — was reason enough for the Jets to part ways with Bowles.

Add in the Jets' defense devolving into one of the worst units in the NFL, despite some significant (and significantly paid) talent, particularly on the defensive line, and Bowles' expertise on that side of the ball, and you have another reason the Jets should have parted ways with their head coach.

Oh, and the Jets put on a clinic on how to quit at the end of a season, losing by a combined score of 116-26 in Weeks 14-16 to the Colts, Dolphins (who started Matt Moore), and the Patriots.

And then in that Week 16 loss, Sheldon Richardson and Brandon Marshall reportedly went at it (verbally) in the locker room, and then in the press after the contest.

After a season that bad, Bowles had to be fired on principle, right?

And if the Jets weren't going to get rid of Bowles — whose team did win 10 games in 2015 — a head certainly needed to roll in the team personnel department.

Namely Maccagnan's.

Maccagnan is the man who signed Darrelle Revis to a five-year, $70 million deal — this year, the cornerback declared that his body is breaking down and effectively quit on the season before his teammates got in on the gig.

Revis now says he wants to switch to safety for the third year of his deal — if he's not cut first.

Maccagnan also signed Muhammad Wilkerson to an $86 million contract before this season. After five years where Wilkerson was one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL, the 27-year-old turned in a woeful 2016 season.

Wilkerson blamed the Jets training staff for his bad year.

And after taking Christian Hackenberg in the second round, shocking many around the league, Maccagnan re-signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal and provided Bowles with only Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and a woefully unprepared Hackenberg to back him up.

But the Jets will probably have a new quarterback next year (which is probably a good thing, but it's certainly not going to patch up any of New York's significant problems.)

All in all, it was a terrible year both on the field and in the front office — the Jets' wins came against the Bills, Browns, 49ers, and Ravens (come on, Baltimore...) — but the Jets' brass seems keen to do it all again next year and hope it works out better.

What's the definition of insanity again?