Will Edwards’ homecoming be friendly?

Boos? Or cheers?

It’s a question the Jets have had to consider at each of their last few home games, wondering whether they might get serenaded by encouraging applause or have the venom of disappointed fans spewed on them. It’s been a little of both.

But with the Chiefs coming in for Sunday’s season finale, how former Jets coach Herm Edwards will be received may be the most interesting aspect of an otherwise meaningless game.

Boos? Or cheers?

“That’ll be interesting,” said Chad Pennington, who pondered the thought for a moment. “Probably a mixture.”

Whether fans boo him for the perception that he abandoned the franchise, cheer him for the three playoff teams he coached in five years with the Jets, or cheer him with good riddance, one thing that is not up for debate is how the Jets feel about Edwards.

“Herm? The Hermanator?” wide receiver Laveranues Coles said last week when asked about the upcoming reunion. “He’s a good guy, just a great coach.”

Coles said he has no hard feelings.

“It’s cool, man,” said Coles, who was placed on injured reserve this weekend and will therefore miss out on playing in the game. “When you’re in this business, you hate to say it this way, but in a way we all work for the NFL. You like to see everybody reap what they want out of this and I think he got what he wanted. If he’s happy, I’m happy, that’s the way I am.”

Coles and Pennington had some of their most productive years under Edwards. So too did many of the other 18 Jets who were around when Edwards roamed Weeb Ewbank Hall only two short years ago. But there are also some players – Jerricho Cotchery comes immediately to mind – who have flourished under Eric Mangini’s system. Cotchery downplayed the idea of facing the coach who buried him on the depth chart.

“I don’t think playing Kansas City will add any spice to the game,” he said. “We’re trying to get a win. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t going to the playoffs because we’re just trying to get a win.”

Though there won’t be an outward hostility that surfaced when the Jets played the Patriots two weeks ago, there could be some tensions between Edwards and Mangini during the week. Not only do they have contrasting styles, but seeing Edwards could be awkward for the players who may have more loyalty to him than their current boss.

“Kansas City has a great coach and you know that the guys over there love him and appreciate him,” Coles said. “You know that whatever situation they’re in, he’s making the best of it and making it as fun as possible as a coach. He’s just a good people-person and a great locker room coach, that’s for sure.”

The clear implication being that not everyone is such an affable leader.