It's not often that coaching candidates begin publicly expressing their opinions about the players they might coach in the future.
But that's exactly what Rex Ryan was talking about about Aaron Rodgers on ESPN on Sunday before the final game of the regular season.
Ryan, an analyst for the network, is scheduled to interview for the Jets' vacant head coaching position on Tuesday.
During Sunday's NFL Countdown, a panel that included Ryan discussed Rodgers' future with the Jets and the NFL.
When asked if Rodgers would be a Jet in 2025, Ryan immediately answered, “No.”
The former Jets coach went further, as if to emphasize the current quarterback's contributions to the organization.
“I think it's okay to turn away players who aren't contributing to the team,” Ryan said. “Well, I can't say that it never happened. I can tell you enough that this is a guy who didn't participate in the mandatory minicamp.”
Ryan was referring to the fact that Rodgers missed minicamp to vacation in Egypt, which generated a lot of headlines heading into summer training camp.
Ryan's comments certainly add a layer of strangeness to the fact that if he remains in New York next season, he will be interviewing for a possible job working with Rodgers.
After the Jets' final game of the season against the Dolphins on Sunday, Rodgers seemed uncertain about his future.
“Honestly, I don't know. I'm looking forward to the conversation with Woody and Christopher. [Johnson]'' Rodgers said of his future in New York. “I'm glad that in the last five or six weeks I've been able to do some of the things that I knew I could do even at 40, 41 years old. Either way, I don't get upset or angry no matter what they do. If they want to move on, if I still want to play, if not, I'll let them know at some point. ”
One person who would like to see Rodgers return to the Jets next season is legendary QB Joe Namath, who posted his support on social media.
The Jets need to fill head coaching and general manager vacancies, which could prompt a number of changes throughout the organization.
