Adam Gase declines to say he should be Jets HC in 2021 as players come to his defense
Should the Jets’ late-season mini-surge be enough to earn Adam Gase another year at One Jets Drive? He won’t say.
Even with Gang Green knocking off two contenders the last two weeks, Gase’s days as Jets head coach are likely numbered. When asked if he thinks he should be New York’s head coach in 2021 following its win over the Browns in Week 16, Gase deflected and opted to praise his players instead of speculating on his future.
“I think our guys have done a good job of doing what I’ve asked, what our coaching staff has asked them to do,” Gase said, per SNY. “I can’t say how much… the amount I appreciate what these guys have done to battle week in and week out., it’s hard to put into words.”
Despite the Jets’ struggles throughout 2020, they have continued to play hard for Gase. New York had every chance to roll over following the 40-3 drubbing it suffered at the hands of the Seahawks in Week 14 but instead responded with two hard-fought wins with Gase leading the charge.
“Coach Gase is a great coach and a great friend,” Tarell Basham said Sunday, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. “I hope he’s still around [in 2021]. The players who play for him love to play for him.”
Gase’s 9-22 record in nearly two years will likely speak louder than this two-game sample size. New York has simply not trended in the right direction under Gase’s watch, nor has he done much to aid Sam Darnold’s progression — though Darnold says he has enjoyed his time playing for Gase.
“I love Adam,” Darnold said, per Hughes. “I love working for him.”
The fight the Jets have shown at the end of 2020 is encouraging for the future of the organization, but odds are it will not have much bearing on Gase’s. Even if Gase gets the best of Bill Belichick and the Patriots in Week 17, it probably still won’t be enough to save his job.
