In the end, Rex Ryan could only stay away from the AFC East for a matter of weeks. The Buffalo Bills have confirmed he is their new head coach.
“Rex brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position that we feel will be a tremendous benefit to our players and the entire Bills organization,” the team’s owner, Terry Pegula, wrote in a statement. “We look forward to his leadership and expertise in directing our team to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”
Ryan was fired by the Bills’ divisional rivals, the New York Jets, earlier this month on so-called Black Monday. The move means he will resume hostilities with his old sparring partner Bill Belichick at the New England Patriots as well as his former team.
The move will come as a surprise to some. Ryan consistently produced excellent defense at the Jets but was let down by mediocre quarterbacks. He will find much the same situation at the Bills, who have one of the best defenses in the league but a middling quarterback at best in EJ Manuel. A more logical choice may have been a team such as the Atlanta Falcons, where Ryan could have overhauled the defense while relying on a good quarterback in Matt Ryan to drive the offense.
“[Ryan] was very impressive during the interview process, as were many of the candidates to which we spoke, and we feel Rex is the best fit for our team,” Pegula said. “We look forward to his leadership and expertise in directing our team to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”
According to NFL Media, Ryan has signed a five-year deal and will make just over $5m a year. It is also believed the Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman will join Ryan in Buffalo. ESPN reports that the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, will also join Ryan in Buffalo. Roman would be a logical choice to run Ryan offense, as the pair worked together at the Baltimore Ravens and favour the run game.
