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After months of absence, Christopher Johnson finally addressed the media on Wednesday.
In doing so, he made major headlines. The Jets CEO made it clear that Adam Gase will return as the team’s head coach in 2020. Gase is not in jeopardy of being fired; instead, he has Johnson’s confidence.
Johnson said he told the team last week that Gase would return despite outside noise of there being a potential coaching change. He also spoke with some players about the decision one on one. Gase is 2-7 in his first season as the Jets head coach. Johnson, however, has not wavered in his support for his first head coaching hire despite some frustrations.
“I want to assure you there will be no changes in coaches here,” Johnson told reporters. “Adam has the trust of this team. He has the trust of Sam. He has Joe’s trust. He has my trust. He’s a good man. He’s a good coach.”
Johnson is understandably frustrated with the team’s progress or lack thereof through nine games but has shown the utmost support for his new regime. He still believes the future is bright.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “There’s a great deal of work to do. Everyone understands that and we’re just getting started. But I feel really good about this team moving forward.”
The relationships that Gase has built in the building with Sam Darnold and Joe Douglas have not gone unnoticed and played a big part in the decision to bring Gase back next season. He is not solely keeping Gase for Darnold’s sake, but it was a major component in his decision making.
“It’s absolutely important, but that’s not why I’m keeping Adam,” Johnson said of Darnold. “That’s certainly a component. Changing systems year after year is a disaster for a young quarterback, especially.”
As for Gase and Douglas, Johnson said, “Seeing him work with Joe, it’s a whole new dynamic in this building. It’s a really positive dynamic. They have the same vision for this team going forward.”