-by Austin Stephens, co-host and producer of The Home Stand
Adam Gase, head coach of the New York Jets, is terrible. Actually, that may be too kind. Adam Gase is an all around absolutely god-awful coach. Probably one of the worst of our generation. He is a cancer; a parasite. He’s the Monstars’ basketball from Space Jam; leeching the talent of great players. It takes someone like Michael Jordan to overcome him. And when there’s a player great enough to do that, Gase will ride the coattails of success for his own gain. So now here he sits at 0-6 on this 2020 season, and the Jets have some decisions to make. But I think they’ve already made it. Gase will stay, for now. Because they need him. Because sometimes a parasite can do a little good before it totally kills you.
Gase got his NFL coaching start as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos under head coach John Fox in 2013. Gase contributed to a record breaking passing year for the Broncos’ quarterback. Of course, that just so happened to be Peyton Manning, who probably still would have set records with Spongebob Squarepants as his OC. Nevertheless, Gase rode this success to the OC of the Chicago Bears (again under John Fox), and then landed his first head coaching job for the Miami Dolphins in 2015.
In his first year as head coach, Gase led the Dolphins to a 10-6 record, and actually made the playoffs before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wildcard round. Now you may be thinking “Weeell look at that. He’s not so bad. Playoffs in his first year as a head coach.” Okay, fair, but let’s not forget that he went 6-10 and 7-9 the next two seasons. But you know what the most damning thing is? Ryan Tannehill was the quarterback. A guy who’s now one of the top QBs in the league on the undefeated Tennessee Titans. Hindsight is 20/20, but man did Gase really screw that one up. Plus not to mention the fact top players were constantly asking for trades out of Miami under his coaching. All this led to his firing after the 2018 season.
Which landed him in his current role as head coach of the New York Jets. The big zero and six New York Jets. The last place, worst team in the league, probably gonna lose sixteen games, New York Jets. (Did I mention they haven’t won a game yet?) He took a great prospect in Sam Darnold and turned him into a puddle. He took Le’Veon Bell, who, at the time he signed, was one of the best running backs in the league, and made him a nonexistent puppy dog. Jarvis Landry, Kenyan Drake, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki; all guys who have thrived once out from under the thumb of Gase.
Then there’s also the Jamal Adams controversy. Tumultuous contract talks led to Adams demanding a trade, citing in interviews that Gase was not the right leader for the Jets and that he did not build good relationships with people in the building.
The guy does not know how to bring out the best in people. Quite the opposite actually.
He should be fired. The Texans fired Bill O’Brien and won their first game. The Falcons fired Dan Quinn and won their first game. So why hasn’t Gase been fired? Because the Jets don’t want to win, for one very simple reason. Trevor Lawrence, the golden boy atop the draft boards.
It’s a bold strategy. They’re risking everything now for a shot at a better future. And they’re banking on Adam Gase to continue being the little parasite that he is, to give them what they need, before they take their medicine and drop him down the toilet.