Rex Ryan should make John Idzik and Woody Johnson an offer they cannot — and should not — refuse.
He should march into their respective offices and tell them he will coach the Jets in 2014 — the last year of his contract — without an extension.
It would make him a true lame duck, but it would show the owner and the general manager that he has enough confidence in himself and in his ability to continue to motivate his young team to be willing to put his money where his mouth used to be.
It would be a fiscal bonus for Johnson, keeping Ryan for $3 million instead of firing him and owing him the money, then shelling out big bucks to his successor.
Most importantly, it would preserve the continuity and stability that is critical to a young, growing team and young, growing quarterback.
“Anytime you make a change, automatically you got to reset … it’s chaos, because then you don’t know, you’re seeing bodies, people just getting cut or whatnot,” Calvin Pace said.
It would give Ryan one last chance, a one-year referendum rather than a one-game referendum Sunday in Miami, to prove his contention these Jets, torn to the foundation last offseason, are indeed on the rise.
It would sent a jolt of electricity through a locker room that doesn’t want to envision Life Without Rex, even if the inmates do not run the asylum.
Though I believe Idzik is tough enough not to cower to fan and media pressure, keeping Ryan for 2014 would silence conspiracy theorists who will charge the fix was in right from the day he was shotgun wedded, that nothing short of the playoffs could have saved Ryan.
I asked Ryan, who loves this organization, this team and this job, if he has enough confidence in himself that he could coach this team next season without a contract extension.
“I don’t even think about it right now,” Ryan told The Post. “I can tell you this — I’m loaded with confidence going into this game.”
The players who have rallied ’round Rex are certain he could pull it off and coach under lame-duck conditions.
David Nelson was asked to give his most convincing argument to Idzik into a tape recorder.
“You just see how guys play for Rex, you see the intensity and the enthusiasm,” Nelson told The Post. “Obviously we didn’t execute, we made some crucial mistakes this year, but just … guys play hard. In my opinion, we have progressed throughout the season and have gotten better, and we’ll only continue to get better. We’ve had some bad circumstances this year, but at the same time, we’re at the end of the season, and we’re still playing pretty well. And so, hopefully, he can see that, that we’re moving in the right direction and we can use the foundation we’ve had this year to move forward for next year.”
“Whether it’s the last year of his contract or not, that’s not a guarantee that he’s gone, you know?” one Jet said.
Ryan was asked about the criticism he hasn’t developed a consistent offense. “Everybody’s got a right to their opinion … it’s not like the Survivor where I’m trying to get their vote or something like that,” Ryan said.
But he has earned the right to survive. He coached this season without his best player on defense (Darrelle Revis, traded) and he coached most of this season without his best player on offense (Santonio Holmes, injured). His starting safeties (LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell) from 2012 left via free agency. So did his tight end (Dustin Keller) and 1,000-yard rusher (Shonn Greene). So did defensive linemen Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha.
Receiver Stephen Hill, the 2012 second-round draft choice, has been a bust. He has a rookie cornerback (Dee Milliner) starting opposite Antonio Cromartie, who has played through hip problems, and a rookie left guard (Brian Winters) starting because Vlad Ducasse, another former second-round pick, never turned into John Hannah. And Geno Smith, the rookie quarterback, has been throwing to journeymen more often than not.
“We’re getting better,” defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said.
Ryan has over-achieved in a rebuilding season, case closed.
And is beloved enough to withstand lame-duck status.
“If he’s able to still run the ship, we’re going to respond like we respond to him always,” Willie Colon said. “I don’t think his situation is ever going to affect how we play or what we do on the field. … I feel like if he’s going to be our coach, which we want him to be our coach, it’s an opportunity for us to kind of answer the drum and help him out, so to speak.”
Ryan was reckless exposing Mark Sanchez in the fourth quarter of the prestigious Snoopy Bowl, but Smith, who has lobbied for Ryan’s return, who has gotten off the deck and finally begun to show progress, most likely would have supplanted Sanchez sooner rather than later.
“He didn’t blink at anything that has happened, up to date anyway,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.
Neither has Ryan.
He should make Idzik and Johnson an offer they can’t — and shouldn’t — refuse.