Report: Rex Ryan has one year to make the playoffs or he's out
Rex Ryan's already on the hot seat for 2016.
By
John Breech
•
1 min read
Bills coach Rex Ryan made it through Black Monday this year without getting fired, but we probably won't be able to say the same thing next year if the Bills miss the playoffs again.
According to the Buffalo News, Bills owner Terry Pegula has given Ryan a playoff ultimatum for 2016: Get to the postseason or we're going to fire you. The ultimatum also applies to Bills general manager Doug Whaley.
Pegula issued the ultimatum during a meeting last week, where he told both men that they would be retained for the 2016 season.
After the meeting, Pegula released a statement saying that although he was disappointed in the Bills' season, he wanted to give Whaley and Ryan another chance to get Buffalo to the playoffs.
"As our first full season as owners of the Buffalo Bills draws to a close, management, coaches, players and fans all feel that our expectations were not met," Pegula said. "Kim [Pegula], Russ [Brandon] and I look forward to working and collaborating with Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan in forming a winning future for the organization. Our management team and coaching staff are very capable and work well together. This stable foundation is necessary to achieve long term success in the NFL."
Despite the ultimatum, the Bills are still trying to extend Whaley's contract. The Bills general manager is headed into the final year of his deal.
As for Ryan, the Bills coach just finished the first season of a five-year, $27.5 million deal that he signed in January 2015. If the Bills were to dump Ryan after next season, the team would be on the hook for the final $16.5 million of his contract.
On Pegula's end, it's easy to see why he made the ultimatum: He wants to see the Bills in the playoffs. Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 1999, which is currently the longest postseason drought in the NFL.
Ryan promised to get the Bills to the playoffs when he was hired, and although he didn't do that this year, it looks like he's going to have to come through on that promise in 2016 or else he won't have a job.
