Rex Ryan certain is aware of how one can make Jets followers really feel higher.
Shortly after it was reported Sunday that Mike Vrabel has agreed to turn out to be the subsequent head coach of the Patriots — leaving the Jets with out one of many first candidates to interview for his or her emptiness and sure one in every of their high selections — Ryan reacted from his chair on ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.”
“Hey, man, hopefully, I get to kick this man’s ass twice a 12 months. I don’t know,” mentioned Ryan, who additionally interviewed final week for the Jets’ emptiness. “I’m simply kidding, Vrabes. I’m simply kidding, buddy.”
The opposite analysts laughed at Ryan’s open campaigning to be rehired by the Jets, who he coached to consecutive AFC Championship video games early in a tenure that produced a 46-50 document (2009-14).
Host Mike Greenberg — a big-time Jets fan himself — jumped in to make clear that Ryan meant his Jets beating the Patriots and never that Ryan was difficult Vrabel to a combat.
“My workforce, yeah,” Ryan mentioned. “Not me personally.”
Ryan is selecting up the place he left off by trash-talking the Patriots, regardless that they’re now not the massive, unhealthy, Tremendous Bowl frontrunners these days.
Vrabel is taking on a workforce coming off of back-to-back last-place finishes within the AFC East.
Manner again when, Ryan entered his first season with the Jets by saying, “I by no means got here right here to kiss Invoice Belichick’s rings.”
How did he again it up? Ryan went 4-9 towards the Patriots because the Jets head coach, together with a signature upset street victory within the 2010 playoffs.
Vrabel’s final season as a participant with the Patriots was in 2008, so he missed the Ryan-Patriots banter.
After he was fired by the Titans after final season and labored as a marketing consultant for the Browns in 2024, Vrabel is now the seventh participant to win a Tremendous Bowl with a franchise after which return residence as its head coach.
