Todd Bowles hadn’t even reached the opening game of his first season as the New York Jets head coach by the time disaster struck the team’s locker room. Reserve linebacker IK Enemkpali punched Geno Smith, breaking the quarterback’s jaw and sidelining him for 6-10 weeks.
After the incident, Bowles received a friendly offer from his former boss, Bruce Arians. According to Jenny Vrentas of MMQB, Bowles explained the interaction with Arians:
“He texted me, to make sure I was alright. I said I was fine. He said OK, if you need to vent, let me know. I said OK.”
Did Bowles utilize the offer?
“No, he’s got his own team to run. You don’t do that. (laughs) In the offseason, though, I might vent to him a little bit.”
Bowles served as the Arians’ defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and 2014 before accepting the promotion in New York.
Consequent to Smith’s injury, Bowles tabbed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick as the temporary starter, though a strong performance from the journeyman could leave Smith on the sideline once he’s healthy. Either way, Bowles is working through an adventurous beginning to his head coaching career.
The Jets’ second game of the preseason kicks off Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Atlanta Falcons.