Rex Ryan will not be a lame duck this year.
Ryan, who has already been confirmed as the Jets’ head coach for 2014, has now agreed to a multi-year contract with the team, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 2014 season was the final year on Ryan’s previous contract.
That may alleviate some of the pressure on Ryan heading into the season, as he won’t face a constant barrage of questions about the status of his contract talks. Conversely, it also means Ryan won’t have the opportunity to bet on himself and be a free agent next year.
There’s no word yet on the length of the new contract or the financial terms, including how much it would cost owner Woody Johnson to buy Ryan out if Johnson decides to fire Ryan.
Head coaches hardly ever coach into the final years of their contracts, as lame-duck status is generally seen as a tough thing for a coach to overcome. Now Ryan won’t coach into the final year of his contract either.