Rex Ryan’s six-year run with the New York Jets officially came to an end when the veteran coach was fired Dec. 29.
But Ryan told NFL Media on Saturday there were signs as early as 2013 that team management wanted to distance themselves from their coach.
“They had a meeting. It was on branding, it was on all this other stuff. Basically, it was clear then that they were trying to push away from me. And for whatever reason, that is fine,” Ryan said in an interview on New York’s WFAN. “I never asked to be the face of the franchise, it just turned out that way, but it's the way it is. I am no longer there now.
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“In my opinion it was pretty clear, and I am sure it was clear to every person that was in the meeting, which was every employee. They never should have had that meeting. They should have just told me. They wanted to have it for whatever reason, maybe a new sheriff is in town. So be it, it was no big deal to me, but it was pretty obvious that they were wanting me to take more of a backseat role, which I did. I am a team guy and if that is what they wanted, all they had to do was tell me. But it was pretty obvious to me.”
Now the head man in Buffalo, Ryan’s early moves, including the acquisition of All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy, have energized the Bills’ fan base.