FLORHAM PARK -- The Jets gave Christian Hackenberg every opportunity to win the starting quarterback job this summer. He out-repped veteran Josh McCown and third-year pro Bryce Petty the final three weeks of camp. He started two of four preseason games.

But when the regular season began, Hackenberg was third on the depth chart. He's been active for just one of nine games -- and only because Petty wasn't healthy.

It's a damning read-between-the-lines assessment of a player the Jets invested a 2016 second-round pick on.

Well, just don't tell the man who drafted him that.

"All players develop at different paces and different rates," Maccagnan said Wednesday. "I wouldn't say (I'm) discouraged."

After redshirting his rookie year, Hackenberg did show signs of improvement this summer. His footwork was better, and his decision-making more decisive. He noticeably cut down on turnovers, too.

But there was still more bad than good. Hackenberg's turnovers were down because he regularly checked down. His footwork was improved, but not his accuracy. His inability to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage led to multiple protection breakdowns.

He finished the preseason 32 of 74 (56.8 percent) for 372 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He averaged just five yards per attempt, and had a quarterback rating of 68.1. He led the Jets to points on just five of his 36 drives.

In comparison, Bryce Petty went 32 of 48 (66.7 percent) for 426 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He had a quarterback rating of 106.8.

"I think Christian has done some positive things," Maccagnan said. "There are areas he still needs to improve upon, but I'm encouraged with the work (Petty) and Christian are putting in."

While Hackenberg was the third-string quarterback entering the regular season, the common belief was he'd eventually play. The Jets looked like a team with no intention of winning in 2017. After a few games, coach Todd Bowles would bench McCown to play Hackenberg.

But nine games into the season, the Jets are 4-5. If they beat the Bucs this Sunday, they'll be in the thick of the playoff hunt. With McCown playing some of the best football of his career (96.1 quarterback rating, 70.4 completion percentage, 16 total touchdowns), it's unclear when -- or if -- Hackenberg will play.

In the present, that's fine. But it could cause issues for the future.

McCown is 38. While Maccagnan didn't rule out bringing him back next season, it's unclear how much longer he'll want to play. The 2018 NFL Draft is expected to be littered with quarterback talent -- Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA), Josh Allen (Wyoming).

If the Jets don't believe they have a franchise quarterback on the roster, it's the perfect opportunity to (potentially) get one.

But would Maccagnan be comfortable making that call having never seen Hackenberg play a regular season game?

"I don't think there's a prerequisite of what we need or don't need to do," he said. "I think the one thing is we'll see how this season progresses. We still have seven games left to play. As I mentioned before, you don't know how the season will unfold.

"I'm encouraged by the work the guys have put in. I don't think there's a prerequisite for what we do or don't have to do."

Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.