The NY Jets have already begun the process of searching for a new head coach and general manager this offseason. It will mark the first time the Jets have hired an entirely new regime in the same offseason since 2015, and it represents an opportunity for a complete organizational overhaul.
The Jets announced on Monday that they have hired The 33rd Team, notably former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, to assist in their search for a new head coach and general manager.
Tannenbaum's ties to the organization make it an interesting approach, and it's also led to some speculation regarding one of the only known "candidates" for the team's head coach position.
Rewind to January 2009 for a moment. Tannenbaum was entering his fourth year as Jets general manager and was tasked with finding Eric Mangini's replacement. He ultimately settled on a certain loud-mouthed defensive assistant from Baltimore.
Now, 16 years later, Rex Ryan is hoping to convince Tannenbaum to make the same decision.
Ryan has been very publicly campaigning to be the Jets' next head coach, making a number of media appearances over the last few weeks. He's gone on a full media tour in an attempt to present his case to anyone willing to listen.
Of course, Ryan is nearly a decade removed from having any coaching experience at any level. He hasn't coached since he was fired by the Buffalo Bills back in 2016. To say the NFL has passed him by would probably be an understatement.
Still, Ryan has remained relevant in the media landscape and even interviewed for the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator position in 2023. He'll no doubt be on Woody Johnson's radar when the Jets start interviewing candidates in January.
Tannenbaum's arrival doesn't necessarily mean Ryan will be a serious candidate, however. Jets fans have been quick to make the obvious connection between the two, but it's hard to envision a scenario in which Ryan is a legitimate candidate for the Jets head coach job in a couple of months.
Tannenbaum and Spielman have ample connections around the NFL and are expected to use those connections to cast a wide net on prospective candidates. Settling for a coach who hasn't worked in nearly a decade would be a nightmare scenario for the organization.
It's fun to reminisce on better times and relive fond memories, but despite what some fans might think, Rex Ryan should not be viewed as a genuine head coach candidate. Mike Tannenbaum shouldn't change that.
