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Jets expected to promote QB coach Jeremy Bates to OC job

The New York Jets will stay in-house to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, as coach Todd Bowles is expected to name Jeremy Bates to the position, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Bates, who served as the quarterbacks coach in 2017, will replace John Morton, who was fired last week after one season.

Bates will be the Jets' sixth offensive coordinator in the past eight seasons, the third in four years under Bowles. He inherits a unit that ranked 28th in total offense and has no proven quarterback under contract.

Josh McCown, 38, the Jets' most consistent offensive player last season, is a free agent and is mulling his future. The Jets may try to sign Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, a potential free agent who broke into the NFL under Mike Shanahan, one of Bates' mentors.

It's not known if Bowles has conducted formal interviews with any other candidates, but he has talked to former Pittsburgh Steelers coordinator Todd Haley, a source said. Haley, who was fired last week, has been linked to the Cleveland Browns' coordinator vacancy. Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and Detroit Lions quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan also were on the radar.

It's not clear if Bates will retain his role as the quarterbacks coach, but Bowles may look to add a coach to assist Bates.

Bates, 41, has only one season of coordinator experience -- 2010, with the Seattle Seahawks. They finished 28th in total offense and Pete Carroll fired Bates with three years left on his contract.

After that, Bates sat out a year before becoming the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears, but that lasted only a year. He took a four-year hiatus before resurfacing last season with the Jets.

Early in his career, Bates held positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jets and Denver Broncos, where he worked under Shanahan and was credited with guiding quarterback Jay Cutler to his only Pro Bowl season.