Adam Gase Praises Jets Ownership's Commitment: 'Phenomenal...Anything I've Requested We've Gotten'

There is no lack of support from New York Jets ownership and Christopher Johnson when it comes to making the facility pandemic-compliant, so says head coach Adam Gase. Everything he has needed during this unusual offseason, Gase said, he’s gotten.

Included in this, the Jets bought out a local hotel so the players could be in a dormitory setting and be safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think Christopher (Johnson) has been phenomenal. Anything that I’ve requested, we’ve gotten,” Gase said Thursday during a virtual press conference. “Them buying out the [hotel] was awesome, I asked for that at the last second, where it was like, I don’t know why, we started having discussions about that in the spring when this was going on of, ‘Hey, let’s create like a dormitory atmosphere.’ Majority of the guys stayed there; some guys already had houses. But like I said, I was trying to learn throughout this, especially training camp, of what was the best way for us to go about it?”

There had been recent reports indicating that the Jets were cutting back on payroll and in general on expenses. Given the pandemic and the potential hit to revenue teams would face, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see any NFL team reduce or slash expenses.

Except that it appears that the Jets are, at the very least, maintaining their commitment to the on-the-field product and player well being. Taking over a local hotel is certainly a significant investment on the health and well-being of the roster, a cost that went on for a month. So to is the necessary revamping of meeting rooms and the locker room to ensure proper health guidelines and standards.

“We’ve adjusted our meeting rooms a little bit to where we have things spaced out. It’s already set up that way. There are some times where we’re able to use the fieldhouse, not necessarily for meetings, but almost create the meeting on the field, which that makes it super easy to space everybody out,” Gase said. “I think the key is really, keep with our testing, making sure that we’re doing the right things, wearing our mask and all those little details so when we are in those groups, we’re not taking any chances.”

Now that the season is starting, the Jets will be holding in-person meetings once again, having had only virtual meetings throughout training camp.

Gase did so as a precaution but now that there is necessary game prep, he needs to have the team in the facility under one roof. One interesting offshoot of the virtual meetings, according to Gase, is that there was greater participation and interaction than when they are in the meeting rooms.

“All l I can go off is the information that I was given, as far as the whole COVID thing. I told you guys before, I don’t know a ton about anything medical, I’m going off of kind of what I’m being told and trying to make decisions off of that and we felt like the virtual learning was the best way,” Gase said. “I feel like we got a ton out of it. I think our players did a great job of being interactive in it. And now, do I feel like we can take a different step and start doing things in person? Yes. I feel better about doing that now than I did when we started this thing. But I do think we got a great rhythm there with the virtual stuff, that’s why we stayed with it.”