Why a Rex Ryan Return Would Hurt the Baltimore Ravens
By Joe Schiller
I’m here to explain why Rex Ryan would not benefit the Ravens if he were to return to Baltimore
Week 17 is officially over, which marks the end of the NFL regular season. Twelve lucky teams have made the playoffs, but for the other twenty, there are changes to be made. Around this time it is common for teams who have under-performed to begin firing their coaches.
The Buffalo Bills are one of those teams and fired Rex Ryan. Ryan spent two seasons with the Bills before getting fired last Tuesday. The team went 15-16 under his control and failed to make the playoffs both years.
Before Buffalo he spent six seasons with the New York Jets. In his first two years he led the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship berths, but the team was very inconsistent during the rest of his tenure.
Ryan is now in the open market and will most likely find a coaching job somewhere else. His firing has sparked questions if he would ever make a return to his former team where he spent nine seasons as a coach.
It is intriguing to think about a Rex Ryan return, but it would not be beneficial to the Baltimore Ravens.
An ego too big
Rex Ryan is known for his loud opinions and colorful comments. If he were to come back to the Ravens, it would most likely be as a defensive coach. His ego is too big for someone that is not a head coach. I don’t think he could handle not having the reigns to the team.
With his personality comes unwanted media and attention. It is like there is a media posse that follows him around wherever he goes. There have been too many times where he has promised Super Bowls and other wins that have never happened.
His personality is not one that would fit well into the Raven’s coaching staff. Head coach John Harbaugh and his coaching staff are very quiet when it comes to the media. Other than scheduled press conferences and media events, you never hear much talk from them. The last thing the Ravens need is personalities clashing on the sidelines.
Other options
While it would be great to have Rex’s defensive expertise back with the Ravens, the reunion just is not worth it. There are other options the Ravens could go after if were to fire Dean Pees or another defensive coach.
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Gus Bradley is one stands out to me. Bradley was a fantastic defensive coordinator in Seattle, but had a rough time in Jacksonville as a head coach. He could pair well with a physical Ravens defensive and help them excel.