Jets' problem is new coach may inherit same old QB

Jets' problem is new coach may inherit same old QB
January 1
New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers
"Brett Favre's meltdown in the last five games of the season got Eric Mangini fired, and now the possibility he will be their quarterback next season could scare away coaches.

Happy New Year to the Jets. They don't have a coach and now they have the Burden of Brett.

The Jets have a reputation for being a dysfunctional organization. As the coaching search plays out, Favre could wind up being an albatross.

Is any coach going to want to work with him, even for one year?

"I want him out of the building before I get there," one general manager said Wednesday. "He's finished. You can read Mangini's body language: 'We can't control him. He will not follow. He's undisciplined. Belligerent.' Why would any reasonable man even want him around if you are trying to get a fresh start?"

The Jets couldn't get Bill Cowher to meet with them. At least with the Browns, Cowher turned down the job in a face-to-face meeting with owner Randy Lerner last Saturday night in New York. Now if Cowher winds up going to Denver, it will be another slap at the Jets.

One general manager told me before Cowher pulled out Tuesday night, "If I'm Cowher, I don't want Brett back. He's gone. If he took Brett back, I would be shocked."

Cowher had no interest in the Jets because of the front-office structure - he wanted to bring in his own personnel staff while Woody Johnson is loyal to GM Mike Tannenbaum - and, speculation persists, he had no interest in dealing with Favre. The QB is going to be a handful for anyone - especially if the Jets hire a rookie NFL head coach.

The Jets made it known Tuesday that they were going to meet with Cowher. At least now they can tell their fans that they tried, but it will make them look bad if Cowher goes to Denver. Was it just coincidental that Cowher withdrew himself from consideration just hours after Mike Shanahan was fired?

What about Shanahan for the Jets? He won back-to-back Super Bowls in John Elway's final two seasons but won just one playoff game in the last 10 years. He is a big name, but the Broncos just blew a three-game lead with three to play. They collapsed worse than the Jets. Still, he and Marty Schottenheimer may be the only available coaches who can handle Favre.

Favre has always been tough on coaches because of his gunslinger style. If it were up to him, no plays would be sent in from the sideline. He would just get on one knee in the huddle and draw it up in the dirt. If it's a touchdown, great. An interception? We'll have another shot in a few minutes."
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