Adam Gase’s promotion to interim general manager of the Jets might becoming to an end soon. The Jets seem to have realized that handing such an important position to someone just because they were more aggressive in a power struggle might not have been too smart, so they’re on the lookout for a permanent replacement. Unfortunately, the Jets have made their way back onto their bullshit with this process and are reportedly interested in bringing Peyton Manning out of retirement to be the team’s general manager, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Per the report:
Rumors are flying within league circles that the Jets may make a run at the future Hall of Fame quarterback who has periodically been linked to NFL management possibilities. And Gase, who worked with Manning in Denver, possibly would be one of the few guys who could draw Manning back into football.
Florio goes on to explain that this decision would make sense given Jets CEO Christopher Johnson’s comments to reporters on Wednesday saying he was looking for “a great manager, a communicator, who can collaborate well with the building” to be in that position. I mean, sure, I guess it could work. Manning could always get some of the most random receivers to put up solid numbers on an annual basis—his teammates at that position feature around four all-time greats and a million Guys—and was a pretty solid communicator at the line of scrimmage
Of course, none of those characteristics necessarily mean anything when it comes to someone’s potential of being a good general manager. The accuracy with which Manning fits Johnson’s mold should probably even be called into question because, well, it’s coming from the brain of someone who works for the Jets. If the goal of this pursuit is to put out some facade of competence within the organization, then hiring Manning should be one of last things the Jets want to do. Bringing one of the most famous names in football to a team in New York will invite even more scrutiny to this organizational equivalent of a tire fire. Besides, why would you bring in someone who was virtually incapable of beating the Patriots throughout his career until he was paired up with one of football’s all-time best defenses?
If there’s any good that Manning’s hire could bring it’s that it could be something that Le’Veon Bell and Adam Gase actually agree on. Gase knows about Manning’s leadership abilities and could even have the GM’s ear because of their time together in Denver, and no one is more suited to build a roster that values passing over giving a running back anywhere close to a heavy workload than Manning is. Both sides win in that scenario and for a team like the Jets, that may be enough of a victory to be alright with however the season plays out.