The New York Jets could be in the market for a new coach, with Rex Ryan saying privately that he believes the team will fire him at the end of this season.
Ryan has told friends privately that he believes owner Woody Johnson will fire him, ESPN reported. Ryan has even begun packing up his personal belongings and cleaning out his office, the sources claimed.
The Jets are headed toward a disappointing finish, with a 3-12 record and question marks throughout the roster. The team’s biggest struggle is at quarterback, where second year player Geno Smith has been largely ineffective and Michael Vick has proved no longer capable at backup. The team will likely have to look for a new quarterback for next year, and it’s believed that Johnson wants to do it with a new coach at the helm.
It could mark the end of what appeared to be a promising era for the New York Jets. Rex Ryan took the team to the AFC Championship Game in his first two years as coach, but has led them to four straight season of no playoffs. This year the team was eliminated before Thanksgiving, suffering several embarrassing losses.
For weeks rumors have circulated that the Jets are parting ways with Ryan. Earlier this month rumors surfaced that Ryan was telling friends that he expected to be fired after the season. The New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro reported that Ryan learned about the plan to fire him and that general manager John Idzik was open with other coaches about the plans to replace Ryan.
“Did he think that wasn’t going to get back to me?” an angered Ryan told one confidant.
Later reports indicated that he could be moving to the Atlanta Falcons .
Rex Ryan isn’t the only one spreading rumors about his exit from the New York Jets. League sources say that Charley Casserly, who the Jets will soon hire as a consultant, is already reaching out to new head coaches.
