New York Daily News football columnist Manish Mehta thinks the Jets should give coach Rex Ryan a contract extension – now. Ryan is currently signed through 2014.
“Six months after owner Woody made the unconventional choice to retain Ryan, while tearing down just about everything around him, he needs to make another decision: Give his head coach a one-year contract extension before the season starts,” wrote Mehta.
“Johnson’s affinity for Ryan hasn’t necessarily waned, but he curiously has chosen not to silence the prevailing notion that his coach is a lame duck.
“Johnson, called many things by many people, is smarter than he gets credits for. He fully realizes that the Jets, who have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, are entering a rebuilding phase. He even preached patience to fans this offseason.
“Now, it’s time to make a commitment to Ryan to be a part of that rebuilding process and squash the speculation and distraction that will trail his team for the next six months.
“Otherwise, Johnson has needlessly put the franchise in a one-year holding pattern. His team will have to start all over again in 2014 with new offensive and defensive systems under a new head coach.”
