With only one year left on his current contract, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan says he isn't concerned with the lack of certainty going forward, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Rex Ryan: ‘I’m not worried about being a lame-duck guy’
Ryan doesn’t feel the pressure despite not having a contract for next year.
Al Bello
“I’m not worried about being a lame-duck guy,” Ryan said. “I’m not worried about that. I am not. I look at this as an opportunity.”
Ryan, who began his head coaching career with two trips to the AFC Championship game, has fallen on hard times. In his third season in 2011, Ryan's Jets finished out of the playoffs with three straight losses at the end of the year. Last season, everything fell apart, leading to a third place finish in the AFC East and the firing of general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
Cornerback Antonio Cromartie backs Ryan despite the shortcomings of the past two years, per the Daily News:
“There’s no such thing as a hot seat. You just got to go out and win games. . . . He’s beyond the right guy for the job. I think everybody that’s here wants to come in and play for Rex. That’s what it’s really all about. When you get guys to buy into Rex’s system and what he’s doing and what he’s saying, then you can go out there and play better.”
With expectations very low, Mehta says the Jets might keep Ryan even if the team fails to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year. First-year general manager John Idzik does not have the authority to fire Ryan, according to Metha. Only owner Woody Johnson can do that, but Idzik would have a voice in making the decision. With turnover in the front office and on the roster, it will be interesting to see what Johnson will do if the Jets fail to make the playoffs once again.
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