Following the Jets' loss to the Patriots Saturday, head coach Todd Bowles shed some light on his medical situation that hospitalized on Friday.
"My chest was hurting, kidney stones, gall bladder and gall stones got stuck in the pipe." he said. "Lot of pain and kind of went from there. I'll get something done after the season."
There was initially some doubt whether Bowles would be able to coach the Jets for a 31st consecutive regular-season game. He did not travel with the team and he needed to pass some tests to be medically cleared.
Nonetheless, he was in his usual seat Saturday morning, on the first bus that took the Green & White from their hotel to Gillette Stadium.
"It was actually great to see him make the trip up here," cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "But it just falls into other things that's been happening with this team this year with injuries. It feels like there's something else going on. There's always something going on, but it was good [to see Todd]. Besides football, health is the most important thing. It was good to see him, it was definitely good to see him."
Not all the players saw Bowles leave from the hotel, but were immediately relieved and excited once they settled in the visiting locker room where Bowles addressed the team.
"I don't think his message of what he said was even that important to the players," QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said, who entered the game in the second quarter for the injured Bryce Petty. "I think it was just the action of him showing up, that's what was so important. For him to be fighting and battling through whatever he was and to make the decision to come here to be with us, I think that action spoke volumes of the man and coach that he is."
It was a tough holiday weekend for Bowles and the Jets. But the players took some solace knowing their leader was not in serious medical danger.
"You never want to go to war without your captain," said S Rontez Miles, who ran up to Bowles and hugged him when he first saw him on the field. "We were just praying he was going to get back and he came. He had our back the whole time and never let us down."
"They told us he was in the hospital, but that he was okay," LT Ben Ijalana said. "So at first it was serious and scary, but when they said he was okay I was glad. They said he would try to get back [Friday], but they'll most likely hold him until tomorrow morning. Then when I saw him today, I was happy to see him. I just said, 'Hey coach, it's nice to you.' Then we were good to go. It's a relief. We play a crazy game, but health comes first on all levels whether its coaches, staff or media. You want people healthy."
