New York Jets S Ed Reed implies he will only return to Jets if Rex is still around

Now that the season is winding down and the Jets no longer have a chance to make the playoffs, it is that time where everyone starts asking questions about what next years team will look like. There are many such questions that people want answered and two of the bigger ones involve the fate of head coach Rex Ryan and veteran safety Ed Reed. According to the New York Daily News when asked if his desire to return would be affected if Rex Ryan was gone, Reed replied “Because it’s his scheme that stays. I don’t see why he shouldn’t be (back.) Great coach. Nothing more than I can say than that.” seeming to imply that he wants his fate tied with that of Rex’s.

He is not the first player to back Rex in such a way, and Rex is often described by media as a player’s coach, someone people want to play for. It is undeniable that Ed Reed’s signing to the Jets was influenced by his former defensive coordinator from Baltimore, further proven by his immediate promotion to the starting line-up. Rex Ryan believes in Ed Reed and Idzik admitted he was expecting Rex to shop up at his office door as soon as he heard Reed was released by the Houston Texans. Ed Reed clearly believes in Rex Ryan as well, now supporting his current head coach in his bid to remain head coach. However, one has to believe Rex’s chances of staying with the Jets is probably much higher than Reed’s.

Reed is now 35 years old, and time is one of the biggest enemies of any football player, and his productivity and effectiveness on the field are already in question. As per typical Idzik fashion this wasn’t a high risk signing as Reed was willing to take a minimal paycheck for his services and is not guaranteed anything beyond this year. His, as well as other teammates, support of Rex is helping solidify the head coaches chance of staying, while Idzik is going into a year where he will have a good deal of cap space to deal with to sign new, younger players, as well as another draft class under his belt. The Jets will likely end up with a fresh young safety on the roster one way or another and Ed Reed’s best chance to remain with the team is to return as a second or third string safety in a player-coach type of role.

Here is a link to the original article on the NY Daily News