Former New York Jets head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan has made it clear he’s ready to return to the sidelines for the Jets, using a series of recent radio appearances to pitch himself as the team’s best option moving forward.
Speaking on ESPN New York’s Bart & Hahn show, Ryan strongly pushed back against the idea of overhauling the Jets’ roster, insisting that the current group has what it takes to succeed – if guided properly.
“I look at it this way… blow it up? We’re going to blow the opponents up,” Ryan said. “There’s way too much talent on this team to play the way we’ve been playing.
“How hard can you get a guy to play? That’s the thing. Nobody has seen a team that is going to play as hard as this team’s going to play in the future, trust me. If I’m the guy, trust me.”
Ryan coached the Jets from 2009 to 2014, guiding the team to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons.
However, his tenure ended on a sour note, with losing records in two of his final three seasons. (A fact that some have conveniently forgotten about.)
Still, Ryan argued that no other candidate could match his understanding of the Jets and their culture, which may very well be true.
“That’s what is going to separate me from all these other guys you’re going to bring in. Your Grudens or whoever. Give me a break,” he continued. “They ain’t New York Jets. I’m all about the Jets.
“And the great thing is, yeah, you get a second chance at it and that doesn’t happen very often. Well, when it does it’s usually special. We’ll find out if I get that chance or not.
“If not, I hope they have one hell of a guy in place cause I still want to be a fan of the Jets. I still want to be, but when I look around I know nobody is better than me.”
Ryan has repeatedly voiced confidence in his ability to turn the Jets’ fortunes around, even suggesting earlier this week on ESPN New York’s DiPietro & Rothenberg that the team’s record would be vastly better under his leadership.
“They’d be probably undefeated,” Ryan said when asked how the team would be performing if he were the head coach.
The Jets entered their bye week with a 3-8 record, a disappointing outcome for a team that began the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
As the franchise grapples with major questions about its future, Ryan’s bold campaign for a return to his old job has certainly added intrigue to the conversation.
What are your thoughts on a possible Ryan reunion with the Jets???
