Todd Bowles: Jets Won’t Decide on Starting Quarterback Until Preseason

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said today the team will not name a starting quarterback before training camp.

On if the starting quarterback will have to be selected prior to training camp in order to properly distribute reps…

No, we’ll go into training camp, you may not get all of the reps that day, but as training camp gets going, each guy will probably get a little more on certain days. Then you start to differentiate yourself as part of the thing that you do to earn you more playing time than the other guy.

On if there is a specific point where he would like to have his starting quarterback determined…

I have a point in my head, but they have to distinguish themselves as well. You can have a point down the line – I can say Week Three (of the preseason), and somebody might do it in Week Two, or you’ll start to see it develop and you’ll have a pretty good idea. At least I will.

On when that point in his head is…

I do not know yet. I have an idea – somewhere between, obviously, maybe after the third preseason game, but it could change.

Bowles also indicated there is no current leader in the clubhouse.

On if McCown is ahead of Petty and Hackenberg at all…

No. He knows more, obviously. He’s older, so he is going to know more, but at the same time, he’s a good teaching tool to help those guys catch up and compete. Seeing it done, and being told as it is being done is a help to them as well.

I think in an ideal world you would like to have a starter before training camp so you could dedicate camp completely to getting that guy ready. The most important thing is picking the right quarterback, though, so if camp time needs to be spent finding out which quarterback in the right guy, so be it.