The New York Jets were one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL this year and the offseason hasn't made anything better. Adding another interesting piece to the story is head coach Rex Ryan, who was seen in the Bahamas on Thursday with a strange tattoo on his arm.
According to the New York Daily News, Ryan was photographed at the Cove Atlantis resort in the Bahamas and can be seen with a tattoo of a woman wearing only a green jersey with Mark Sanchez's No. 6 on it, posing in a way that resembles what Tim Tebow does when he scores a touchdown.
The report says that Ryan cursed the reporter while "storming away", but they were able to snap a photo that showed the coach with his shirt off and tattoo exposed. The tattoo was located on his other upper arm below another tattoo of a green shamrock featuring the names of his wife and children.
There is no report or indication of the tattoo's presumed authenticity and it is likely that the tattoo is not permanent, but who knows when it comes to Ryan and the Jets. The head coach is currently taking a vacation while the team searches for a new general manager. HERE is a link to the picture from the Daily News.
According to NJ.com, Ryan has spent his time in the Bahamas "listening to music and reading "American Sniper," by Navy SEAL Chris Kyle."
The team is planning to hold a press conference on Tuesday, which would be the first time the Jets have spoken to the media since the season ended and they fired general manager Mike Tannenbaum. Ryan and his coaching staff are currently in limbo, according to reports.
Ryan is known for his larger-than-life personality, but the tattoo might be a little too much. He previously made headlines for another tattoo he got in 2011 after coming to training camp with an elaborate design he got done on his right calf that he had done while on vacation in Hawaii. At the time, he said it was not his first tattoo, according to the Daily News.
That still isn't the strangest story to follow Ryan and involve his wife. In 2010 some "foot-fetish" videos were found on YouTube of a woman who appeared to be Ryan's wife and featuring a voice off-screen that sounded a lot like Ryan's.
Whether the tattoo is real or not, the Jets have a lot of issues to deal with in the offseason. Mark Sanchez had a horrible year for the team, but is guaranteed $8.25 million in 2013 and won't be easy to trade or cut. Tim Tebow was a complete disappointment and the Jets are likely to trade him this offseason rather than go through another dramatic year with him as the backup.
Ryan will likely stay with the team no matter who they hire as general manager, but until that is confirmed, him and his staff remain in limbo. The Jets finished just 6-10 this season and lost their final three games to the Titans, Chargers and Bills. The team was ranked 30th in the league in passing and only averaged 17 points per game, ranked 28th in the NFL.
The Jets made the AFC championship game in Ryan's first two seasons, but since then the team and Sanchez have regressed. The fourth-year quarterback had his worst season to date, throwing 18 interceptions and completing less than 55 percent of his passes. Over the past two seasons he has turned over the ball 50 times, more than anyone else in the NFL.
The team started off the year with a 48-28 win over Buffalo that saw Sanchez throw three touchdowns, but the team was wildly inconsistent, never winning more than two games in a row, which they did only once, over Jacksonville and Arizona, two of the worst teams in the league. The most embarrassing performance came on Thanksgiving against the Patriots when Sanchez ran into his own offensive lineman and fumbled, allowing the Patriots to return it for a touchdown.
Ryan and his staff will be on a tight leash if they are retained and likely will need to show significant improvements if they want to remain after next season.
