Boomer Esiason Just Hinted a Hall of Famer Might Coach the New York Jets in 2021
Former New York Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason just gave the team’s fanbase hope.
No, Esiason isn’t coming out of retirement to suit up for the green and white. What Esiason, who now hosts a radio show and appears on The NFL Today, did do, however, is potentially provide a key hint at who will be coaching the New York Jets in 2021.
For the Jets fans tired of Adam Gase strolling the sidelines, they may want to prepare for the sight of Bill Cowher’s return to coaching.
The New York Jets are a winless disaster
There have only been two teams in NFL history that went 0-16.
Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions made history in 2008 with a winless campaign. Robert Griffin III and the Cleveland Browns joined the club in 2017.
At this point, it appears that the New York Jets may join the club. The Jets lost their first 12 games this season — including a devastating last-second loss to Derek Carr and the Raiders.
The Jets fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams on Monday after the loss.
Head coach Adam Gase is expected to lose his job at season’s end. It is not yet known where quarterback Sam Darnold stands in the Jets’ plans, although the team will be favorites to draft Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall selection.
Boomer Esiason said Bill Cowher could coach the Jets in 2021
Several high-profile candidates have already been linked to the New York Jets job, assuming it opens.
Boomer Esiason, himself a former Jets quarterback, listed a candidate besides Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
On the December 7 episode of the “Boomer & Gio” on WFAN in New York, Esiason said former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher could be a possible candidate.
Cowher and Esiason have worked together on The NFL Today since 2007. Esiason shared a moment between him, Cowher, and Nate Burrelson during the December 6 episode of The NFL Today.
“All I know is that yesterday, he was showing me and Nate (Burleson) film of him coaching on the sideline where he was mic’ed up, and we looked at each other like, ‘hmm, what does that mean? Is he sending a message? I’ve worked with him for 14 years and I’ve never seen that.”
That wasn’t all Esiason said. According to Radio.com, Esiason shared a conversation that he and Cowher had about the Jets’ opening.
“He was saying to me yesterday, he’s the one that told me the Jets job is going to be really attractive, and they could hire whomever they want,” Esiason said, “and he told me he loves Joe Douglas.”
Would Bill Cowher and the New York Jets work well together?
It has long been thought that Bill Cowher’s head coaching days are over.
Cowher, who won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in February 2006, earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year. He turned 63 in May and has not coached an NFL game since Dec. 31, 2006.
If the New York Jets hired Cowher, he at least would be inheriting a team with two first-round draft selections and cap space. This is not the Texans, who have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson but no draft picks.
There is recent precedent for head coaches getting jobs after an extended period in the broadcast booth. Raiders head coach Jon Gruden returned to the sidelines in 2018 after nearly a decade at ESPN.
As strange as it might be to see Bill Cowher coaching again, he makes sense for the Jets. Joe Douglas and the Jets would be wise to make a play for Cowher if he is truly interested in the job.
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