We’re not surprised the Jets moved quickly to extend coach Rex Ryan’s contract.
We are admittedly taken aback that the Jets announced a five-year extension on Friday for G.M. Mike Tannenbaum as well. (He quietly signed the deal in June, but no one knew.) Both Ryan and Tannenbaum will now be paid by the Jets through 2014.
After Eric Mangini went 9-7, it appeared that Tannenbaum helped push his old friend out to save his job. In comes Rex Ryan, the team goes 9-7 again, and now Tannenbaum is a made man. That’s the cynical view of the situation.
We also have to give Tannenbaum his fair share of credit for many outstanding draft picks and moves over the last few years, even if the “football men” in the building like Mangini and Ryan are pulling the strings. Tannenbaum and Ryan clearly seem to work well together, and owner Woody Johnson is comfortable with both men. He wanted to make a statement about the future of the team.
Still, the commitment comes as a mild surprise considering Tannenbaum’s wildly up and down four-year run as general manager.