The New York Jets did not wait until NFL Black Monday. They fired head coach Adam Gase on Sunday night, setting up a huge offseason with several big-ticket questions facing the franchise.
Jets officially parted ways with Adam Gase, per source. Gase went 9-23 during his two seasons as the Jets’ HC. Jets now back in market for another HC.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2021
Adam Gase never did connect with his Jets players. Le'Veon Bell left and felt alienated on his way out the door. It was much the same for Jamal Adams. New York players didn't think Gase was running the organization in a particularly professional manner… and that was only in relationship to his people skills.
On the field, Gase didn't improve the Jets in any recognizable way. They suffered through the humiliation of giving up a last-minute long-ball touchdown to the Las Vegas Raiders by playing press coverage and having no safety help.
Fans of the Jets might have privately liked the fact that the Jets — then in position for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — lost a game and kept their “lead” over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. However, even if the Jets were supposedly tanking for Trevor, the egregious mistake by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was the kind of “amateur hour” moment which routinely marked the New York coaching staff in both the 2020 season and throughout Gase's tenure.
The fact that the Jets won a couple of games in subsequent weeks has in no way changed the attitude of the NFL community toward the franchise. Gase has torched his head coaching career and is almost certain to find his next job as either an offensive coordinator or a position coach on an NFL team.
The Jets now face an offseason full of interesting and hugely important questions. Should they take Justin Fields with the No. 2 pick and trade Sam Darnold for a big return? Should they trade their No. 2 pick and stick with Darnold at quarterback?
They first need to map out their full plan, and make sure their incoming coach is on board with a specific choice at quarterback, a specific coordinator to maximize the 2021 QB's talents, and a specific draft-and-free agency plan to maximize resources for the Jets.
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