New York Jets: Debating a Todd Bowles contract extension

Should the New York Jets give Todd Bowles a contract extension now?

Everyone knows the expectations that were in place for the New York Jets in 2017. Saying that expectations were low would be an understatement. Some figured the Jets to go 0-16 and they were even called the worst roster in a decade. The Jets were expected to barely be considered professional, much less be a contending professional team. Frankly, the team was predicted to stink.

So the team sitting at 5-7 through three quarters of the season comes as a surprise to most everyone. If they hadn’t had such a tough time in the fourth quarter they could even be better than 5-7. The Jets have been competitive in each and every game they have played. Even when they lost going away to the Raiders, they were in that game most of the way. The facts are the facts. This team fights hard and some of the credit must go to Todd Bowles. He’s the leader they are fighting for.

Coach Bowles is heading into that gray area of his contract. He has one year left and coaches typically aren’t left to coach in their final year. They are either let go prior to the final year or given an extension prior to it. That way, they aren’t essentially sitting on the vine, wondering how their performance stacks up. They don’t have to have decisions altered by the fact that they are coaching for their lives.

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So is it time for a contract extension? The body of work puts Bowles with a record of 40-44 as of this post. We know there are four games to go in the season. Should the Jets wait until the season ends to make the move? Should they just go ahead and do it now?

The argument really could be made in either direction. Look at the season the Jets have had. Depending upon who you talk to, they are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Who would have thought that when the season began? Todd Bowles deserves a lot of credit for that. He might even deserve enough credit to warrant a new contract right now.

However, there are reasons to wait as well. Brian Costello talked about some in the New York Post:

"Remember 2008? Eric Mangini had the Jets at 8-3 and had just beaten the Patriots and the undefeated Titans on the road. Then, the bottom fell out. The Jets finished 9-7 and he was fired. In 2013, Rex Ryan looked like a goner until a late-season run saved his job."

He is also looking at it fairly. A lot can change very quickly. Ask Ben McAdoo, he will tell you all about it. It doesn’t take much to change the overall outlook of a coach’s performance. There are games left on the schedule with the potential to make the Jets look more like the group they were expected to be. They may get killed in the final quarter of the season.

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But then again, that doesn’t have to be held against Todd Bowles. Both of those games are on the road. Many teams would get killed in that scenario and it doesn’t mean the coach should lose his job. One could argue that the way the Jets have competed over the first three quarters of the year has been more than enough to bring Bowles back on a new contract.

However, things could fall apart so badly, like they did for the Giants, that they would have to make a move at year’s end. I am torn on this one. What do you think, Jets fans? Let us know in the comments.

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