New York Jets

Jets were correct to not start Christian Hackenberg in 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:51 p.m. ET

Fansided, Michael Pallas/FanSided via The Jet Press

The New York Jets were correct in not starting Christian Hackenberg in 2016. Patience is key in his continued development.

In 2013, as a sophomore, Christian Hackenberg put up his best college numbers. He completed 58.9% of his passes, and he had 20 touchdowns and ten interceptions. Then two things happened. His head coach left for the Houston Texans and his offensive line became porous. As a result, his numbers took a nosedive way before he was drafted by the New York Jets.

In 2014 and 2015, his completion percentage dropped to 55.8% and 53.5%, respectively. That had to be partly due to him taking a bunch of hits and his overall confidence taking a figurative hit.

The Jets coaching staff decided it wouldn’t be prudent to put Hackenberg behind that offensive line. The line ended up allowing 35 sacks and 95 quarterback hits. That wouldn’t have been good for Hackenberg after taking the hits he did in college.

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Bryce Petty was thrust into the starting role for the Jets in 2016 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was inefficient and Geno Smith got hurt, but the Jets continued to lose games. The hands of the Jets coaching staff may have been forced there, but they didn’t want to put the rookie in a precarious situation.

Newsday’s Kimberly A. Martin reported that head coach Todd Bowles knew that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was planning to retire after 2016. This poor season notwithstanding, if that’s the case, Bowles and Gailey may not have gone to Petty if they didn’t feel they had to. Also, putting Hackenberg in knowing that Gailey was leaving made absolutely no sense.

It doesn’t make sense to put what may be a rattled rookie into a two-fold bad situation. They had a bad offensive line, and Bowles knew the offensive coordinator was leaving. Now that we can look back on the season it made no sense to throw Hackenberg into the fire.