Rex Ryan clearly wants to be an NFL head coach again. Throughout the Miami Dolphins' 2025 season, Ryan has taken some shots at head coach Mike McDaniel and, on other occasions, seemed to be sending Stephen Ross a message that he is ready to coach the Dolphins.
Fans were not thrilled at the prospect of Ryan coming anywhere near the Dolphins facility, let alone as the team's next head coach. As the season wore on, McDaniel continued to make a strong case to retain his job. That didn't stop Ryan from making some not very tasteful comments.
The loud ESPN analyst recently called McDaniel a "Nerd Boy" before saying, "My hat is off to you." That should be the kind of comments that keep Ryan unemployed from the NFL.
Rex Ryan can't stop the Mike McDaniel jabs even after the Miami Dolphins turnaround
Ryan hasn't coached in years, and it doesn't look like that is going to change any time soon. With the Dolphins' job now looking less likely to be open, Ryan's comments are not doing him any favors.
🎥 Rex Ryan on Mike McDaniel: “Nerd boy, my hats off to you, you have this thing going… Mike McDaniel has done a hell of a job.” (@GetUpESPN) #PhinsUp https://t.co/d8CmB0cnQs pic.twitter.com/F7DgUNWIw2
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) December 15, 2025
Clearly, the rest of the ESPN "Get Up" crew were calling him out for earlier comments he made this season, but it still doesn't come off as professional.
While it is likely that Ryan was being tongue-in-cheek about his McDaniel comments, his season-long rhetoric is falling on deaf ears. The Dolphins have made several mistakes over the course of their coaching searches, but hiring Ryan would make them all look like genius moves.
As a former Bills and Jets coach, the last thing a rival needs to do is turn another prospective opportunity into none at all. That seems to be what Ryan has been doing all year. Ross needs someone strong if he is going to replace McDaniel, and the last thing he needs is another comedian.
On the upside, Ryan's comments should be enough to alienate him from being on the list at all. Considering almost every Dolphins fan universally believes he shouldn't be the next coach, that bodes well for that happening.