The New York Jets are 2-9 and haven't enjoyed a winning season since 2010. The team's struggles have fueled speculation that Rex Ryan will be fired after the season. But was he a goner before the season even began?
"Sources told The Post that, during the offseason, Ryan bumped into scouts and other coaches from around the league who told him Jets general manager John Idzik had been telling people his plan all along was to replace Ryan after the season and bring in his own head coach," wrote Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post.
"'Did he think that wasn't going to get back to me?' an angered Ryan told one confidant."
A split between Ryan and the Jets appears to be in everyone's best interest. But let's not place all the blame at Ryan's feet. Idzik built this team and, quite frankly, it isn't a very good one. New York is so thin at cornerback, they make super models jealous. The quarterback position is a disaster. Idzik had $20 million of cap room to add talent and didn't do anything to move the needle outside of signing Eric Decker. This has been a failure on multiple franchise levels.
Other coaches around the league admitted they'll be glad to see Ryan go as coaching against his teams have proven difficult for them.
"You don't think [Patriots head coach Bill] Belichick will be glad to see Rex out of the division?" one coach said. "I guarantee you he'd be happy to see Rex out of the AFC East. I know I'd rather not face him - and I like Rex."
Ryan's post-game comments this weekend indicated that he is aware of his pending fate.
"One thing I know, unless it changes drastically, I will be the head coach here for the next five weeks," Ryan said Monday night.
"We're running out of tomorrows," Ryan said Tuesday. "I recognize it and that's a challenge that's in front of me. We've got to get a lot better in a hurry."
