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Rex Ryan just received a glowing endorsement from an unexpected figure -- someone who, as recently as last month, said that Ryan would probably be fired if he failed to lead the Bills to the playoffs this year.

The most important player in Bills franchise history, quarterback Jim Kelly, hopes Ryan sticks around for two more decades. At least that's what he told Rich Eisen on Monday.

"The bottom line is, I think any coach in the NFL, you don't win, you're not going to be around very long. But with Rex, Rex is a great coach. I hope he's around for 20 years," Kelly said. "But with our team the last year, probably the last couple years, we've had star players, but when most of them are in their getting rehab and they're not on the field playing, it doesn't matter who you are, your job is going to be on the line.

"But Rex is a great football coach. I've never once said that he wasn't a good football coach. I hope he can do it. He's got the players this year. I think if you keep Tyrod Taylor healthy, and he does and stays healthy, I think we have a very good chance, because our defense is pretty solid. We have some weapons on offense. I'm excited about this year. I'm excited about what Rex brings. I just hope that they stay healthy so that he can be here for 10 or 15 more years."

Suddenly, this photo, snapped after the Bills hired Ryan last January, is relevant again. It isn't just a throwback to better times anymore. It's an accurate depiction of their current relationship.

The boys are back in town:

But, as Kelly noted, Ryan will need to experience success soon if he hopes to stick around for the years to come. In his first season, Ryan guided the Bills to an 8-8 record, a downgrade after Doug Marrone led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014. The most troubling aspect of last season, though, had nothing to do with their final record. It had everything to do with Ryan's defense.

Under former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the Bills defense finished as a top-five unit in both yards and points. But under Ryan -- best known for being a defensive mastermind -- the Bills ranked 15th in points allowed and 19th in yards allowed. And so, a question lingers: If Ryan can't get the defense operating at a top level, then what's the point in keeping him around? Ryan's the exact opposite of an offensive guru and he's probably not high on the list of coaches you'd want to groom a quarterback.

The bad news for Ryan is that even if he gets his defensive mojo back -- he brought in his brother, Rob, to help with that and ride some tandem bikes together -- and even if quarterback Tyrod Taylor builds off a promising first season, his route to the postseason still goes through New England, which is pretty much the equivalent of the Death Star.

"I do think that Tom Brady needs to retire," Kelly said. "Please."