Rex must stay.
This is the consensus about the future of Jets head coach Rex Ryan drawn from on- and off-the-record interviews with nearly half of the roster this week in the wake of their disappointing elimination from playoff contention for the second consecutive season.
While there is a moderate undercurrent among this cross-section of offensive players who harbor some resentment about Ryan’s devotion to his defense, believing the offensive side of the ball is sometimes neglected, we could not find a single player who flat-out wants Ryan to be fired.
VOTE: SHOULD REX RYAN BE COACH OF THE JETS NEXT SEASON?
To the contrary, some players said they respect Ryan more for the way he has kept the locker room from coming unglued the way it did at the end of last season when the Jets were also faced with playoff elimination.
“I feel like he’s handled himself appropriately — with humility,’’ said linebacker Bart Scott, Ryan’s first free-agent signing. “Guys haven’t packed it in. You would be able to see if guys have packed it in, and they haven’t. Nobody has imploded, nobody has turned on each other. That’s a reflection of the respect everyone has for him.’’
Veteran linebacker Bryan Thomas said, “This could be a period of time where guys just quit on him, wanting to start making vacation plans, but it has not been like that at all. Rex has held this thing together despite the circumstances of this past week and I commend him for that.
“I could not imagine Rex not being here,’’ Thomas said. “I promise you Rex is great for this team.’’
The Jets cannot stand pat in 2013, not after the mess they have allowed to unfold over the past two seasons.
But to those who want Ryan fired, you must answer this question: Unless team owner Woody Johnson can lure a proven NFL winner (Sean Payton?) to take over his team, who do you want?
The head-coaching market is not exactly teeming with sure things. So be careful what you wish for. Continuity should come first if it is viable, and in the case of Ryan it is the best option. He is under contract through 2014 and deserves next season to fix his team or face being fired before becoming a lame duck.
And, for whatever it is worth to the owner, the players want Ryan to remain.
“Rex has always been a man of principle and loyalty,’’ defensive tackle Sione Po’uha said. “One thing he always says that sticks with me is, ‘Always be true to yourself and always be true to your teammates.’ That has stuck with me no matter what the circumstances are externally or whatever emotional roller coaster you might be on.
“To me, and to the players in this locker room, he’s been a great teacher of life,’’ Pouha went on. “I definitely have utmost respect for him. I do now as we did when we were in those AFC Championship games, if not even more.’’
Running back Joe McKnight said, “Guys want to play for Rex. He takes care of us, so why wouldn’t we want to do it for him? We want to take care of him.”
Receiver Chaz Schilens came to the Jets this season after four seasons in Oakland, where he played for three different head coaches: Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson. He has a pretty good perspective on how a lack of continuity does not work.
“Rex is very smart, a good motivator and is honest and straightforward,’’ Schilens said, echoing the sentiments of a number of players The Post spoke with. “Some coaches tell you one thing and mean something else, but Rex is always honest and straightforward. Guys appreciate that. It keeps the team together.’’
Veteran safety Yeremiah Bell, like Schilens finishing up his first season with the Jets, likes what he sees here a lot better than what he saw in Miami, where the Dolphins seem as if they are in constant flux.
In no uncertain terms, Bell said Ryan has not lost the attention of the locker room despite the team’s struggles.
“His message is loud and clear and we hear it every week,’’ Bell said. “Coach Ryan is well respected in this locker room. It’s been a pleasure to play for him. Hands down, he’s one of my favorite coaches I’ve played for, because of the way he sees the game from a players’ perspective. That makes it easier to adjust and talk football because he’s seeing exactly what you’re seeing.’’
Bell said he “has not seen him waver’’ as the team has fallen on hard times.
“I’ve seen him stand up and take it on head-on,’’ Bell said. “He’s strong individual who is not afraid to speak his mind. I think those are things you need as a head coach. You need a guy who’s going to stand up there and tell you the truth.’’
Defensive tackle Mike DeVito said players in the locker room feel sick when they lose games because they feel like they’re letting Ryan down.
“I really feel like everyone has bought into what he says and still has a lot of respect for him as a leader,’’ DeVito said. “Some years, for whatever reason, things can be all over the place, things can be inconsistent. But I don’t think it has anything to do with our lack of belief and trust in Rex and his program.
“Everybody here has a job, a role, and everyone has bought into their role and there has been no pointing fingers, no blaming.’’
A year ago, finger-pointing poisoned the locker room, most prominently Santonio Holmes’s selfish displeasure with his role. After the season, Ryan vowed to fix that and it seems he has.
Once the season ends next Sunday in Buffalo, there will be more to fix for Ryan, beginning with the floundering quarterback situation and the dysfunctional offense, which needs a new coordinator.
Ryan has not lost the respect of the locker room, which is always the first crack in the armor for head coaches about to be fired. It is hardly perfect, but the players, many of whom will be a part of the solution in 2013, have spoken.
Rex must stay.