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New York Jets: Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg deserve more time

By Michael Pallas

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 01: Christian Hackenberg #5 of the New York Jets watches from the sidelines during the second half of their game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on January 1, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 01: Christian Hackenberg #5 of the New York Jets watches from the sidelines during the second half of their game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on January 1, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) /
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New York Jets quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg haven’t done enough to prove they don’t belong as starters in the NFL.

In today’s NFL, most quarterbacks that are first round picks are thrown to the wolves almost right away. The problem is, when a quarterback gets drafted later, he’s probably not ready for the limelight. We’re also conditioned as NFL fans, and sports fans in general, to be impatient with important positions, like quarterback, point guard and starting pitcher. We want the star to develop quickly and be ready when we want them to.

Fans of the New York Jets want them to move on from both young quarterbacks, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, in favor of another in the 2018 NFL Draft.

They may be slow developers, though. Many are ready to toss them aside when they’re not ready at the pace we want them to develop. However, if they were first-round picks, especially early ones, many would be accepting of slow development. The first two that come to mind are Joey Harrington and David Carr. Harrington (who was drafted third overall) was given four NFL season to prove he was a bust, and Carr (who was a No. 1 pick) was given five.

Jets fans are willing to read between the lines, assume Todd Bowles has given up, and give up on the young quarterbacks. With Hackenberg, it’s before he’s taken a meaningful snap in the NFL. The answer to why is quite simple. Hackenberg was a second-round pick, and Petty was a fourth-round pick. So, they’re seen as easily disposable. On top of that, New York sports fans are generally impatient.

There isn’t enough tangible evidence to prove that they don’t belong in the NFL. Demario Davis is a perfect example about giving someone a real chance to allow himself to grow. When Davis was first with the Jets he was terrible, and we saw it first hand. Now, he has blossomed into a budding star.

Hackenberg was sacked over 100 times at Penn State. So putting him behind this line would only cause regression. When it comes to Petty, he came from a one-read offense in college. They’re both adapting to the West Coast Offense, a style neither has played in before.

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So, let’s hold our horses on moving on from those two. Let’s see what they can do in 2018 first before moving on. Let them grow before judging them. Patience is a virtue.

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