Bryce Petty had a brief audition as the New York Jets’ quarterback, and it apparently didn’t unravel as planned.
In six games, the third-year signal caller from Baylor University completed 75 of 133 passes for 809 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions, giving him a rating of 60.
Petty entered this season knowing he would be in the middle of three-way battle for the starting spot with veteran Josh McCown and second-year veteran Christian Hackenberg. Even though head coach Todd Bowles had hinted McCown would get the nod in the season opener, an intense battle is expected when training camp opens in late July.
Based on the sought steadiness of McCown and the evolving positive outlook for Hackenberg, Petty appears to be on the low end of the quarterback pole. But Petty is staying optimistic about his chances.
“It’s all about progress,” Petty said after the team’s second day of minicamp at their complex. That’s really all I wanted to do. I’ve gotten better today than I was when we started. To me, that’s all you can measure yourself on, what you did yesterday and how you’ve improved. I’ve got a lot better in that aspect, I have to keep growing.”
Petty believes last year’s experiences can be a springboard for the future.
“It helped a lot just being there,” he stressed. “You can learn from mental reps but there’s just something to be said about getting in there and getting hit from a strong safety and saying, (I got to move the protection over there.) Those things you learn from, you grow from as you see it. I’m very confident. That’s the best part, the whole team is confident. We’re excited about this year and finishing up this minicamp strong and into a good offseason.”
With a satisfying minicamp, Petty is looking forward to the competition next month.
“I look at being the starter every day,” he said. “Since I got here, that mentality, that mindset hasn’t changed. If Coach says, “Hey, you’re not going,” I just take mental reps on the side. Then when he says I am going I have to go in there and show what I can do. That part has never really changed for me and it’s something that has helped me grow as a young quarterback and a player of just attacking every rep, whether I’m on the field or taking mental reps.
“The minicamp days are huge. You really want to end spring ball, the offseason on a good note. We’ve come a long way. I’m so, so impressed with the guys and how they’ve trained, how they’ve learned. It’s a big playbook, it’s a fun playbook. Guys have really come in and attacked it. It’s all about ending on a good note for us as an offense and getting ready to attack the season.”
In his game plan ahead, Petty already has taken cues from McCown. Bowles made an education metaphor to McCown as being a “kindergarten teacher” in Monday’s minicamp, referring to the veteran among the Jets’ youth movement.
“He’s a veteran,” added Petty about McCown’s presence. “There’s a lot of things that he brings to the table. He has a lot of game experience. He’s been in a lot of places. He’s been in a lot of offenses. There’s a very unique perspective to that. Arts and crafts were my favorite. Kindergarten is what it is, I like it. We’re coming to have recess every day. It’s fun.”
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