Bills Central

Geno Smith, Bills QB? Almost - Thanks to Coach Rex Ryan

NFL history nearly changed in 2016, when then-Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan considered bringing in one of his failed proteges from the New York Jets.

Geoff Maggliocchetti

It's safe to say that Buffalo Bills fans are happy with their quarterback situation: barring the medically unthinkable, Josh Allen appears well-poised to lead the team into the future under Western New York center. 

Things have panned out pretty well since the Bills drafted the Wyoming alum with the eighth overall pick of the 2018 draft, as the recent run of Allen-led prosperity is closing in on another accolade: with a Kansas City loss and a win on Monday over the Cincinnati Bengals (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), the Bills (12-3) will capture their first No. 1 seed since the 1993-94 campaign. 

Of course, a good portion of NFL fandom centers upon the eternal question of "What If?". Often done in a desperately hopeful manner, it's more likely to start a horror story for a Buffalo group working on a streak of three consecutive division titles. 

A retrospective on Seattle Seahawks quarterback and prime Comeback Player of the Year contender Geno Smith penned by ESPN's Brady Henderson reveals that had former Bills coach Rex Ryan gotten his way, his resurgence might've come with a streaking buffalo on his helmet. Ryan is said to have been a believer in Smith's gridiron redemption as the 32-year-old thrower prepares to lead Seattle into the final stages of a potential playoff push. The Seahawks (7-8) face a major interconference showdown on Sunday afternoon, as they'll face the equally desperate New York Jets (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox), the former employer of both Ryan and Smith.

Ryan oversaw Smith's first two NFL seasons after the Jets drafted him in the second round of the 2013 draft. After Smith failed to show any major signs of development in his fourth season, the Jets parted ways with Ryan, who wouldn't leave without one final conversation with his former protege.

“I remember the last thing I said to him,” Ryan said in Henderson's report. “I go, ‘You’re going to be a hell of a quarterback in this league. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be for me.'”

Ryan reportedly tried to bend fate in 2016, the latter seasons of a failed two-year coaching stint with the Bills: Henderson says that Ryan attempted to swap futile franchise throwers, offering EJ Manuel to the Jets. At that time, Buffalo hosted a revolving door of failed long-term throwers, with Manuel (the 16th pick of the 2013 draft) having been usurped by Tyrod Taylor.

Smith, on the other hand, was working through what became his final season with the Jets, having lost the starting job after an infamous locker room confrontation with depth defender (and future brief Bill) IK Enemkpali led to the rise of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who put together one of the most prolific single passing seasons in Jets history under Ryan's successor Todd Bowles in 2015. Smith played two games in relief of an injured Fitzpatrick before a torn ACL ended his year.

When Ryan's gambit failed to follow through, the Bills went 7-9 in 2016, firing Ryan prior to the season finale (ironically against the Jets). Sean McDermott was hired in his place and ended the team's 18-year playoff drought primarily with Taylor at quarterback. A trade with Tampa Bay allowed them to leap into the quarterback conversation at the 2018 draft, where they chose Allen as the seventh overall choice.

Smith's final stand with the Jets led him on a nomadic path for two seasons, working with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before heading to the Pacific Northwest in 2019. Granted Seattle's starting reins after they traded Russell Wilson to Denver, Smith has set career highs in nearly every major passing category and has paced the Seahawks on an unexpected playoff push. His 2022 efforts were recently recognized with his first-ever Pro Bowl nomination. 

It's safe to say, however, that the Bills are pleased with the way things have played out: Allen has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in football and will certainly linger in the MVP discussion. Buffalo's four-year playoff streak under Allen's watch is the second-longest in the NFL, trailing only the aforementioned Kansas City Chiefs' eight-season tally. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Maggliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

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