Rex Ryan arrived in New York with a bold promise to turn the Jets into contenders. Within two seasons, he had taken the franchise to consecutive AFC Championship Games and earned four road playoff victories. But before that success, his first day on the practice field nearly convinced him that his head-coaching career might be over before it had properly begun.
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Ryan recently revisited that chaotic start during an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, revealing how two players suffered concussions during a drill on his first day with the team.
“I’m not going to make day two. They’re going to let me go. I’m going to get sued. They’re going to fire me,” Ryan recalled thinking.
The former Jets head coach explained that the trouble began when he noticed the team had only one functional practice field available at the facility. He wanted to run one-on-one drills but questioned the setup after seeing receivers and linebackers running toward each other from opposite ends.
Ryan approached offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer about the arrangement. However, Schottenheimer told him the team had practiced that way throughout the previous season. Ryan decided to let the drill continue, a decision he quickly regretted.
“One dude’s running the go route, the other guy runs the wheel route. Bam! They run right into each other. Knock them both the hell out. They both get concussions,” he said.
The incident was particularly alarming because Ryan had just landed his first NFL head-coaching job. He joked that the possibility of being fired and sued immediately crossed his mind.
“I won’t make day two. Like, being a dumbass, how do you run those two drills?” Ryan added, describing the experience as far from an ideal start.
The practice incident was not his only concern when he took over in 2009. Ryan initially expected to inherit Brett Favre as his quarterback, but he said the Jets told him they could not afford to retain the veteran because of his contract.
Ryan also recalled being told that quarterback Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff were potential options, only to realize during the team’s early minicamp that the position remained a major problem.
He even revealed that the St. Louis Rams had offered him their head-coaching job, and that his brother had encouraged him to consider it. However, Ryan’s family connection to the Jets ultimately influenced his decision. His father, Buddy Ryan, had been an assistant coach on New York’s Super Bowl III-winning staff.
Despite the rocky beginning, Ryan’s tenure quickly turned into a memorable chapter for the franchise. The Jets went 9-7 in his first season, beating Cincinnati and San Diego on the road before losing to Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game.
They returned to the same stage in 2010 after finishing 11-5, beating the Colts and New England Patriots away from home before falling to Pittsburgh.
Ryan eventually finished his Jets tenure with a 46-50 regular-season record and a 4-2 playoff mark. His first-day fears never materialized, and the coach who thought he might not survive his opening practice went on to lead New York to two consecutive conference championship appearances.