Jets Unlikely To Fire Bowles During Season

Jets head coach Todd Bowles is on the hot seat, but he’s unlikely to lose his job before the end of the calendar year. If a change is made, it will likely come after the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 

Bowles and CEO Christopher Johnson met on Monday morning to discuss the future, which invited speculation of a coaching change during the team’s bye week. Even after the Jets made Bills quarterback Matt Barkley look like Jim Kelly, the Jets plan to keep their embattled head coach for at least the next couple of months.

Jets owner Woody Johnson generally does not believe in firing head coaches during the season. In 2014, Johnson ignored calls to fire Rex Ryan after a 1-8 start to the year and did not dismiss him until after the season when the Jets finished 4-12.

It’s also likely that the Johnsons do not see a logical replacement for Bowles on the coaching staff. The team has struggled on both sides of the ball, so neither offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates nor defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers would make sense as a temporary solution. And, even if Rodgers was viewed as an interim candidate, his health situation would complicate matters.

The locker room is said to still hold Bowles in high regard, but he’s as good as gone if the team cannot rally over the final six games of the season. After the bye, the 3-7 Jets will face the Patriots on Nov. 25.

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