Adam Gase wants to be in New York for the long haul.
The new Jets head coach has seen his fair share of quarterback injuries from his time with the Miami Dolphins. Gase adjusted to the injury bug's brutal reality by changing his quarterback 10 times in 49 games as Miami's coach, NBC Sport's Peter King notes. Now, he wants nothing more than to build consistency and endurance with rookie Sam Darnold and the Jets.
A team's character is built from confidence in its quarterback. Game to game and week to week, plays are dictated by a strong team culture and the offense's dependency on the shot caller. Gase lacked that good fortune with the Dolphins, dealing instead with injuries to first-round pick Ryan Tannehill in his first year as Miami's head coach.
Backup QB Matt Moore replaced Tannehill for the final three games of the 2016 regular season -- rallying the Dolphins to take them to the playoffs. Tannehill improved during the ensuing offseason and Gase tailored his offense to one quarterback. After one start, Tannehill elected to undergo season-ending ACL surgery, forcing Gase to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement and steady the Dolphins.
Gase said he muddled his way through the unexpected injury bumps by pivoting. And no matter the reason, switching quarterbacks so regularly took a hit on the Dolphins.
"When all the stuff is happening with your quarterbacks, and you're in the moment, you think of just one word: adjust," Gase said to King. "... When you don't have consistency at quarterback, it puts everything out of whack."
Darnold avoided injuries until he was dinged up by the Dolphins on Nov. 4 in his rookie season. The 21-year-old QB was sacked four times and then announced he was dealing with a pesky foot sprain that would sideline him for a month. Darnold completed the season 239-414 for 2,865 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The No. 3 overall draft pick had a rollercoaster first year, and now Gase has the opportunity to build Darnold up and find the conistency he needs to lead a successful team. Dubbed the quarterback whisperer, the Jets head coach is excited to turn the page.
"The great thing about getting to coach Sam is I've never gotten a chance to experience coaching a guy this young," Gase told King. "Watching the tape, you could see him getting better game by game. He hasn't come close to his peak, and I've been told he's a great guy to work with, so I'm excited. April can't come fast enough."
As long as Darnold stays healthy and Gase remains projected to take his game to the next level, the head coach may find that stability to turn his recent resume around.