Jets Mailbag: Is a Rex Ryan or Eric Mangini return in 2025 a possibility?

The Jets are coming off a much-needed bye and are heading into a Week 13 matchup against the Seahawks.
However, at 3-8 and almost sure to miss the playoffs for a 14th consecutive season, most fans and even the Jets front office have begun looking towards the 2025 offseason.
This week, the Jets hired The 33rd Team to assist with their general manager and coaching search. Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Dolphins and Vikings GM Rick Spielman will spearhead the process and help identify candidates for each position.
In addition, the Jets will have several roster decisions to make, including at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers will be in his final year under contract but is not owed any guaranteed money following the 2024 campaign.
Let’s tackle some of the offseason questions in this week’s mailbag.
Is Rex Ryan or Eric Mangini’s return actually realistic? Should it be? — @Anthony_Russo97
For people who haven’t been paying attention, Ryan and Mangini have been rumored to be candidates for the Jets vacant coaching job.
The current ESPN pundit has been on various shows pitching for a chance to return. He coached the Jets from 2009 to 2014. During that time, Ryan helped Gang Green reach back-to-back AFC Championship games in 2009-10.
With Tannenbaum guiding the Jets’ coaching search, some might connect the dots and believe Ryan’s return is inevitable, but that might not be the case. While Woody Johnson may decide to interview Ryan for the coaching role, I wouldn’t consider him a favorite.
Ryan last appeared on the sidelines in 2016, and the Bills fired him with one game left in the regular season. He went 15-16 as coach of the Bills and later criticized the organization.
I know fans have nostalgia about what the Jets did when Ryan was the coach, but he hasn’t been on an NFL sideline in nearly a decade. He was 26-38 from 2011-14, with zero playoff appearances during his final four seasons with the Jets.
Regarding Mangini, The Athletic floated the idea of him being a candidate for the job. During a recent appearance on Fox Sports’ “The Herd,” Mangini didn’t exactly close the door on a return.
“I obviously am not lobbying for the job, but I feel pretty good about what I did while I was there,” Mangini said.
“I mean, we just had three of those guys that I coached go in the Jets’ Ring of Honor and I think we were a smart, disciplined, tough team. I didn’t realize we were getting the band back together bringing Tannenbaum in. It’s like any other situation, there’s a lot of things you can do with an organization from a vision and principle standpoint and I feel good about what I did when I was there.”
Ultimately, I doubt the Jets would return to the Ryan or Mangini pool regarding coaching the team. Candidates like Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik are much more likely candidates for the job.
But that won’t stop fans from wondering about the possibilities.
Which positions do you see the Jets attacking in FA and which in the draft? — @jetscap
Considering they are 3-8 with six games remaining, and the uncertainty with Rodgers, many expect the Jets to be quarterback shopping next April. However, considering their current draft spot, drafting one early in 2025 might not make sense.
If the season were to end today, the Jets would draft seventh, probably putting them out of range of Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. If the Jets cannot get their hands on either Ward or Sanders, they should look at other positions of need.
Gang Green could use a pass rusher, defensive tackle, cornerback, safety, tackle and wide receiver.
Many fans are probably exhausted by the Jets drafting a pass rusher in the first round, but it’s a legitimate need. Hasson Reddick will be a free agent after the season, and Jermaine Johnson will be coming off a season-ending Achilles injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Titans. If it were up to me, Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter would absolutely be the pick in Round 1.
Carter has been exceptional since switching from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher during his time at Penn State. He has 48 tackles and eight sacks in 11 games this season.
Not only does Carter have the skills to be an elite pass rusher at the next level, but he can also drop back in coverage and defend running backs and tight ends in the passing game. The Jets have a lot of needs, and taking a player like Carter, who has some Micah Parsons in his game, would be the ideal move in the first round.
If the Jets want to address the QB position, they can either trade back into the first round and select a player like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Penn State’s Drew Allar.
Who are the realistic QB options for the Jets next year if the rumors are true that AR is moving on? Also, what’s a realistic option at QB in the draft? — @Xavier_NYC
In addition to Milroe and Allar, I would keep an eye on LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, especially in Round 2. He is as talented as any QB available in the NFL Draft, but there are a few concerns.
This season is the first year that Nussmeier has been LSU’s full-time starter after backing up Jayden Daniels the last two years. Nussmeier has elite arm strength, but his decision-making is questionable at times. He has thrown 11 interceptions in 11 games.
Nussmeier could decide to return to LSU next season, potentially vaulting him into the first round. But he will be 23 next February, and could decide to enter his name in the draft. If he does, the Jets could be a potential landing spot.
I broke down the free agent options in an article last week, but they could include Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, and Mac Jones.