New York Jets owner Woody Johnson declined to say whether coach Rex Ryan would return next season, but the owner did have glowing praise for his coach. In light of Johnson's comments on Tuesday, it's possible Ryan is slowly inching off the coaching hot seat.
The Jets head into Week 6 with a 3-2 record. Given the uncertainty at quarterback in the offseason, the Jets' winning record may come as a surprise to some. Two straight years of missing the playoffs and the hiring of a new general manager seemed certain to spell the end of Ryan's tenure in Florham Park after this season.
That might not be the case anymore.
Although Johnson wouldn't commit to bringing Ryan back after the season, the owner went out of his way to praise the job Ryan has done.
"He's getting the most out of the team and his coaches," Johnson said on Tuesday, via the New York Post. "He had the team very well prepared [Monday] night, he had a good gameplan with a rookie quarterback, and he's getting the wins."
Ryan enters the final year of his contract after this season. As The Post points out, most coaches want a contract extension before the final year of their deal to mantain respect from the locker room and give a sense of organizational stability to potential free agents.
Ryan has been mum on his future with the Jets, and he hasn't been baited into elaborating on his contract situation. If the Jets are considering an extension, it wouldn't come until the end of the season - if Ryan can at least coach the team back to the playoffs and prove he's turning the franchise upright.
As for Johnson, he told the Post that contract talks are never discussed publically during the season.
"We don't make any statements like that during the season," Johnson said. "I'm looking at practice tomorrow. That's as far as I go."
The Jets host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 13.
