NFL: Rex Ryan's Hot Seat

NY Jets Rex Ryan on the hot seat. Photo credit NFL 

by Chad Jones 

Enter Rex Ryan's world, the gregarious Coach enters his 5th season in New York, overseeing an organizational transition, what most would call a rebuild. Owner Woody Johnson fired General Manager Mike Tannenbaum of a disappointing 6-10 campaign. The proverbial scapegoat, Johnson searched for the next GM with one caveat- Rex Ryan would be retained as Head Coach in 2013. 

After high profile candidates turned down Johnson's overtures & generous offers, John Idzik Jr was hired to lead a, "Collaborative Consensus-Building Process." In many ways, Idzik represents a shift in NFL Circles, not your prototypical 'Football Guy', Idzik is deeply analytical & well-spoken. Idzik graduated Magna Cum Laude & Phi Betta Keppa from Dartmouth College with a degree in Mathematics. He later earned a Masters Degree from Duke University. He chooses his words carefully, and weighs decisions from a cost-benefit vantage point, not coming across as affable or endearing, but rather as a capable professional.


Juxtaposing John Idzik & Rex Ryan; the only commonality is their fathers were football men that crossed paths in Philadelphia years ago. Woody Johnson said of his Coach, 'Rex Ryan is perfect for the New York Jets. He's just like Jets fans in many respects. He's hard-working, very smart, and sophisticated.' Needless to say, calling Rex sophisticated drew laughter in the media. Rex has bravado, he's brash & one wouldn't mistake him for the deeply analytical type. So the situation is complex, as it's a conglomeration of two didactic personalities in John Idzik & the holdover Coach. 

Rex Ryan wants to keep his job, and when his time in New York culminates a seamless transition into media will inevitably occur. He's a story a minute for New York Beat writers, and constantly draws backpage headlines. This is the aspect of Rex the Owner loves, making the Jets relevant in a city where the crosstown Giants have won 2 Super Bowls since 2007. 

You look at the offseason, a host of Free Agents departed & the team signed players cut by their 2012 team, or small priced role players. This shows Idzik's aims of recouping compensatory draft picks, recalibrating the salary cap & building for the future. To add insult to injury, Idzik traded the team's best player Revis for draft picks. Rex is in a precarious situation, a relatively inexperienced roster, a troubling QB situation & a new Coaching Staff don't avail themselves to a deep Postseason run. 

So how does Rex keep his job? The answer is easy, the team will  struggle in 2013, and reaching the playoffs is unlikely. So the best route is starting the season with Mark Sanchez at QB, and when the time arises replace him as the team's starter. In enters Geno Smith, the time at which indicates the Coaches confidence in the player. If he goes to him after the Week 2 matchup in New England, he's really throwing his chips in on a large sample size. The later the better for Rex, as a smaller sample size will leave less time to recognize Rex is a major element of the problem. 

If Rex can finish with momentum; he could be retained for the 2014 season. After Tannenbaum & the 2009 5th Overall selection Sanchez are scapegoats for consecutive disappointing seasons, 2014 will be Rex's year. Either he can quickly rebuild the Jets, or Idzik will be searching for a new Coach. 

Rex's world isn't easy, but he's enjoyed a successful run. His shortcomings magnified over his tenure, specifically his process of player development, unsuccessful drafts & overpaying to retain core talent. It's a rebuild, and eventually Rex gets his walking papers. But need not cry for Rex, he'll land a gig on ESPN or one of the major networks to provide his 'Expert Analysis', because he's still entertaining. I can guarantee that.