Todd Bowles to Return as Jets Head Coach: Latest Comments and Reaction

A year ago, Todd Bowles picked the New York Jets up from wreckage and nearly led them to the playoffs. The Jets apparently have enough faith in Bowles to keep him around despite an abysmal 2016. 

Within minutes of the team finishing a 5-11 campaign, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News received confirmation Sunday that Bowles will return for a third season. 

The 53-year-old is 15-17 in his two seasons as head coach. Taking over after a sterling run as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator, Bowles led the Jets to a 10-6 record in 2015 with an offense built around elite receivers and a surprisingly resurgent Ryan Fitzpatrick.

In 2016, nearly every aspect fell apart. Fitzpatrick, who held out deep into the summer while negotiating a new contract, was benched by Week 7 due to poor play. He threw 12 touchdowns against 17 interceptions on the season and was replaced by an equally ineffective Geno Smith and then Bryce Petty.

Wideout Eric Decker struggled before going on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and Brandon Marshall dealt with minor ailments all year. The Jets sputtered their way to a 1-5 start and did not even top the 100-point barrier until their seventh game.

"I'm angry every time we lose," Bowles told reporters after a December loss to the Colts. "I'm not going to sit here and throw the podium at anybody, because that would be a lawsuit. But if I could, I would. I'm angry when I physically get my ass kicked, instead of something happening mentally if you get your ass kicked. When you get your ass kicked physically, that's embarrassing." 

Making matters worse was the surprising regression of the Jets defense, which had been stellar in 2015. Perennial Pro Bowler Darrelle Revis seemingly went from a pre-eminent shutdown cornerback to average overnight, while Buster Skrine proved an unsatisfactory option across from Revis.

While the defensive line remains one of the better outfits in football, the Jets sat 26th in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric coming into this weekend. The Jets look likelier to undergo a full-scale rebuilding on both sides of the ball rather than a few tweaks. In that sense, it's a bit of a surprise to see Bowles return, rather than giving the team a clean slate. 

Fitzpatrick is almost certainly gone, and unless 2016 second-round pick Christian Hackenberg makes massive improvements, the Jets' starting quarterback probably isn't on their current roster. They may also look to move on from veteran running back Matt Forte, given his age (31), and perhaps Revis' stint in New York may be up as well.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.