Sexy Rexy nearly returned to the NFL this offseason.
Ian O’Connor of The Athletic joined me on “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital” on Monday, February 16. I asked him how serious the rumors were that ex-New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan almost became the next defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
“The way John [Harbaugh] put it, it sounded fairly serious. He said, ‘I talked to him at length.’ He does have a great affection for Rex, obviously going back to their time together,” O’Connor explained to me on the podcast.
O’Connor had a full sit-down interview with Harbaugh exploring a variety of topics for The Athletic. The Giants ended up hiring Dennard Wilson for the DC role this offseason instead of Rex.
“I was a little surprised that he made it seem like it was more serious than [I thought]. I didn’t even know they had talked. He brought it up on WFAN as a possibility to talk to him,” O’Connor said. “Listen, Harbaugh made it seem like if Wilson for whatever reason didn’t work out, and again Jim Leonhard didn’t seem engaged with the Giants, I don’t know, you look at the other candidates, and then you measure them against Rex Ryan.”
Ryan Is Seemingly Running out of Time
The veteran coach hasn’t been in the NFL since 2016. Ryan was fired as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in December at the end of that season.
Over the last five years, Ryan has interviewed for three defensive cooridator jobs: the Denver Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys, and most recently with the Giants.
“I think it’s going to be tough. I don’t think it’s impossible. This is not exactly breaking news, but Rex Ryan loves attention. I think we all know that. Is it possible that he could get a DC job in the next year or two? Yes, but I think it’s unlikely,” O’Connor explained to me on “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.”
“You have to be secure in your place as a head coach, like a John Harbaugh, to take Rex on your staff. Just picture Rex every Thursday, whatever day it is when he is talking to the media. He is going to act like the head coach when he’s talking as the DC. So you have to be really secure in your place in the league, and I think John Harbaugh is to even consider it. That is why I think it’s unlikely because there are not many figures in the NFL who would feel that secure in their own position to have him on their staff,” O’Connor added.
A Ryan Coaching Addition Feels Extremely Unlikely
When the Jets were looking for a DC this offseason, there was some fan speculation on social media that Aaron Glenn could hire Rex Ryan for the role.
AG, unlike Harbaugh, is not secure in his position. He is on the hot seat heading into 2026.
According to Aaron Rodgers’ telling of the story on The Pat McAfee Show, AG was worried that teammates would be looking back at Rodgers during meetings instead of upfront in the room.
The thought was that Rodgers’ presence could undermine what Glenn was trying to do. So instead of letting that happen, Glenn and the regime decided to move on from Rodgers last offseason.
What do you think the situation would be with Ryan potentially in the room? The Jets haven’t reached the playoffs since Rex was the head coach. At the first sign of something going wrong, fans would be chanting for Ryan to take over the team.
This offseason, the Jets hired Rex’s son, Seth Ryan, to be the passing game cooridator.
Former Jets player and current NFL analyst Leger Douzable took to social media to suggest that Ryan could be brought in for a more informal role as an “analyst” to reunite with his son in the green and white.
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