Teams View Todd Bowles As HC Candidate?

Todd Bowles‘ Jets tenure is about to conclude. He enters Week 16 with a 24-38 record with the Jets, having failed to build on a 10-6 debut season in 2015.

The coaching carousel is also trending toward offensive-minded leaders. However, Bowles may have another chance sooner than expected. Teams are interested in Bowles as a second-chance head coach as early as 2019, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link).

Bowles was a scout in Green Bay and coached in both Cleveland and Arizona, with his Cardinals tenure producing top-10 scoring defenses in each of his two years as their defensive coordinator. While it would be somewhat surprising to see the Cards make Steve Wilks a one-and-done to hire another defensively oriented coach, Garafolo adds the organization thinks highly of Bowles. The Cardinals have not had a one-and-done coach during their time in Arizona and St. Louis, but Wilks is believed to be in his final days as their head coach.

Bowles, 55, staved off being fired after his third season, signing a Jets extension instead. But Gang Green remains in a rebuilding phase. While it’s arguable Bowles has not had much to work with during his Jets HC tenure, and GM Mike Maccagnan is nevertheless expected to outlast him in New York, Bowles bouncing back so fast would be a bit surprising.

Although, if HC interest is coming his way, a quick rebound as a 2019 defensive coordinator is certainly not difficult to imagine.

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