Gannon heaps praise on Jets’ O coordinator

THE DEVELOPMENT of quarterbacks Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty might be taking longer that some would want. But former Raiders quarterback turned broadcaster Rich Gannon is confident the Jets have the right man to get the most out of the two young signal-callers.

Gannon was the Raiders’ quarterback when the Jets’ new offensive coordinator John Morton was with the Silver and Black as an offensive assistant. Morton began working for the Raiders after his playing career ended in 1997 and was on the staff that lost Super Bowl XXXVII to the Buccaneers. Gannon and Morton have stayed close since.

“I know John Morton really well,” Gannon told The Post on Wednesday during a round-table of CBS NFL broadcasters in Manhattan. “He has a great sense about football. He’s a great teacher and a great communicator. I think he sees the game through the eyes of a quarterback. I was always impressed with him even as a young coach. I think he’ll do a great job. His wealth of knowledge with the system is important.”

Morton, hired to replace the retired Chan Gailey, has a tough task teaching a new system to an offense in transition. High-priced veterans were replaced with new faces at all three receiver positions, center and quarterback. Josh McCown, a 15-year veteran, has been named the starting quarterback literally by default — after Hackenberg proved he’s not ready to be a starter in the NFL. The second-year quarterback and Petty, in his third year, still need plenty of coaching and seasoning.

“The hardest thing in our game is the development of the young quarterback,” said Gannon, who played 16 seasons and won an MVP award in 2002. “With the changes in the rules of the collective bargaining agreement you can no longer devote the entire offseason for quarterback school where you spend six or seven weeks in the building. There are restrictions on the amount of time you can spend with a player. That really hurts a young quarterback. I got to spend quality time with the coaches on the field and working with receivers and developing my skill. It’s a harder thing to do nowadays.”

McCown, 38, is expected to play some of Thursday’s preseason finale against the Eagles at Met Life Stadium. He has played only the opening series of the first preseason game, as the Jets gave Hackenberg every chance to prove he was ready. But Hackenberg has a quarterback rating of 65.1 this preseason, completing 32-of-52 for 267 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. He has been outplayed by Petty, who has completed 32-of-48 for 426 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. But Petty injured his shoulder against the Giants and could be limited Thursday.

The Jets are now in a rush to get McCown ready for the Bills, hoping his experience will make him a quick study. Going with McCown was the Jets’ best chance, Gannon said.

“He’s a guy that has some history in the offense and has been exposed to a lot of different systems and play callers and teams,” Gannon said.

“You can look at his career and say he has bounced around. You can also say enough organizations felt strongly enough about bringing him, that’s why he’s been on so many teams. He’s a great teammate and he’s a great leader. I think he’s been incredible with young quarterbacks because he’s willing to share his experience.”

It is up to Morton to get everyone prepared. His season might not be measured in stats and rankings as much as the development of Hackenberg and Petty.

“As quarterbacks, we’re into the fine details of the system and the why,” Gannon said. “Why are we calling this play? Why are calling this protection? Why are we moving to this audible? Johnny understands the why. He understands the history of the system and the origin of it. I just think he’s going to be a great teacher for these young quarterbacks.”

The Jets are hoping Gannon is right.