Rex Ryan could leave his cushy football analyst gig with ESPN for a return to an NFL sideline next season.
Ryan reportedly is viewed as a top candidate to join Sean Payton’s coaching staff with the Denver Broncos as the team’s defensive coordinator. Ryan reportedly would only take the job if it’s “the perfect situation.”
But New England Patriots great Tedy Bruschi believes Ryan already has that at ESPN. The two share the screen together leading up to games on Sundays and Bruschi made a hilarious plea on “NFL Live” on Monday for Ryan to stay where he is.
“He’d be Ok. But Rex Ryan is a much better Sunday NFL Countdown analyst than he could ever be as a defensive coordinator in Denver,” Bruschi said. “… So Rex, go ahead and have your fun with them interviews, but I’ll see you on Sunday NFL Countdown next season. Come on, man. Come on back.”
It’s somewhat strange to see Bruschi rooting to stay with a Patriots rival. Bruschi retired from football in 2008, a season before Ryan took over as head coach of the New York Jets. After the Buffalo Bills fired Ryan at the end of the 2016 season, he joined ESPN the following year.
Bruschi and Ryan obviously have formed a good rapport while working at ESPN, and if it was up to the former Patriots standout linebacker, Ryan would tell Payton no thanks and take himself out of the running to be Denver’s next defensive coordinator.
