The Jets will start Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback on Sunday, but they’re declining to say whether Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty is the No. 2 quarterback. And coach Todd Bowles is tired of being asked about it.
Asked by reporters today if Hackenberg or Petty would be next in line should Fitzpatrick go down, Bowles refused to answer.
“No offense, but if I’m not going to tell you who it is, why are we having this discussion? It’s really a waste of time,” Bowles said. “I’m not going to tell you anything. It’s not open for discussion. Guys, let it ride.”
When he got a follow-up to that question, Bowles wasn’t in the mood to answer.
“Can we move on from here? Let’s move on please. It’s not happening,” Bowles said.
Bowles did say that both players practiced well this week, and that Hackenberg has gained ground on Petty because Petty missed several weeks of practice with an injury.
“They looked fine. Both of them are ready to play,” Bowles said. “Before the injury, they weren’t on equal footing. Petty was clearly ahead of him. He’s been hurt for a month, so the other guy got a lot of reps.”
Whether those reps are enough to move Hackenberg ahead of Petty, we don’t yet know. The Jets would prefer not to find out, as they’re sticking with Fitzpatrick for now. Eventually, however, the Jets are likely to fall out of playoff contention and decide to see what one of the young guys can do. And that’s when Bowles will have to say for certain which of the young guys is next in line.