Another blockbuster

SNY’s Connor Hughes, who has become the preeminent Jets beat writer, had another blockbuster story.

Hughes announced on SNY’s website on May 13, that the Jets attempted to replace Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator this off-season.

“The Jets made legitimate attempts this offseason to hire someone who would, essentially, replace Hackett. Not as a new offensive coordinator, but a title above who would run the show,” Hughes wrote in a mail bag where he answered viewer’s questions.

He followed with this sentence: “The Jets had enough things they needed to address this offseason without replacing areas they’re content with.”

Interesting juxtaposition there.

First, it was pointed out by the reporter, who works for a Jets media partner, that they were looking to replace Hackett, but then said they were “content.”

Some might find that a little contradictory. Some might not.

But the bottom line is this was another story from Hughes, who has become the dean of the Jets beat, that went viral.

He is very adept at consistently producing viral content, which is the name of the game in the modern-day attention economy.

On the internet, grabbing people’s attention as they scroll, and getting them to click on your article or ad, is of the utmost importance these days.

Hughes is a master at it.

Was this story accurate, that “the Jets made legitimate attempts this offseason to hire someone who would, essentially, replace Hackett?”

Can’t answer that, and we will likely never find out, because reporters generally don’t ask about another reporter’s scoop.

In fact, I don’t think any of the other beat writers even acknowledged what Hughes wrote. Aggregators from outside the press room helped make this story go viral.

And the reporter, who broke the story, likely isn’t going to ask Robert Saleh to verify his scoop.

So it’s this is likely going to go unanswered unless Aaron Rodgers chooses to bring it up, and we know he’s capable of bringing up anything.

But why would the Jets look to replace Hackett, who Aaron Rodgers loves, in Rodgers’ second season with the team? That seems odd.

Maybe the leaker to Hughes, aside from trying to be a big shot with clearly a rising star, was trying to put some heat on Hackett.

Maybe the leaker knew darn well they weren’t going to replace Hackett, since Rodgers loves him, but was throwing a bone to Jets fans, many of whom have turned on Hackett, like they do most offensive coordinators in recent Jets history, by throwing shade at Hackett.

Let’s be honest most offensive coordinators around here, become war criminals very fast. It has happened over and over.

In the NFL, OCs often get thrown to the wolves. Think about what happened in Chicago after last season. They fired OC Luke Getsy, because the offense struggled in his two years with Justin Fields at QB. They hire Shane Waldron as OC, but a couple months later, they trade Fields. How does that make any sense? You blamed Getsy for Fields’ struggles, so you fire Getsy AND trade Fields?

The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach/OC Arthur Smith after last season because the offense was stuck in the mud with QB Desmond Ridder, so they trade Ridder and then get Kirk Cousins AND Micheal Penix. Why not see what Smith could do with a better QB?

So these teams blamed OCs for the QBs struggling, and then they fired the play-caller AND trade the QB?

You can’t make this stuff up.

Is Hackett Bill Walsh? No. But maybe part of the problem was Zach Wilson, who is mainly a one-read QB.

Hackett should be fine with Rodgers, and the QB changes so much at the line anyway.

May 14, 2024

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