Watch: Former New York Jets Coach’s Epic Rant Criticizing Franchise

Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan didn’t hold back when talking about the New York Jets on Monday.

Dec 21, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan walks off the field after the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan has never been one to hold his tongue, which makes him such a great personality for television.

Ryan has spent the past several years working for ESPN on many of the network’s football shows as an analyst.

On Mondays, he typically appears on ESPN's morning show, “Get Up,” to talk about the NFL.

Well on Monday, after the Jets lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 37-15, Ryan had a lot to say about the state of the Jets and what he was seeing from players during and after that game.

He started by taking a shot at the players for not being “proud to be a damn New York Jet.”

“It ain't about the name on the back it's about the name on the front of the damn jersey alright?” Ryan said. “Be proud to be a damn New York Jet. Right now I don't see it. I'm proud to be Aaron Rodgers, I'm proud to be this guy, I'm proud to be that guy — how about be proud to be a freaking New York Jet? Where's the passion for it.”

Rex Ryan was fired up talking about the Jets this morning.

"Be proud to be a damn New York Jet. Right now, I don't see it. I see, 'I'm proud to be Aaron Rodgers,' 'I'm proud to be this guy,' 'I'm proud to be that guy.' How bout being proud to be a friggin' New York Jet?" pic.twitter.com/qBEMwQBcOl

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 21, 2024

New York has lost four straight games, two of them with interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. The defensive coordinator took over for Robert Saleh, who was fired after five games.

Ulbrich has continued to call defensive plays while working as the interim head coach. While Ryan understands the situation the coach has been thrown into, he also said there’s too much discussion about “units’ and not the team.

“I know this kid’s (Ulbrich) thrown in there, he's way above his head. I get it, I get it, and is it damn near hard as hell to be D-coordinator and a head coach? You're damn right it is, OK?” Ryan said. “But I mean where is it? I’m worried about units. I always hear, ‘Well our defense plays great.’ What? It’s our team. And by the way, the defense, if you’re that damn good then go win the damn game yourself.”

The Jets defense gave up 37 points against the Steelers on Sunday, with veteran Russell Wilson lead the Pittsburgh offense for the first time this year after missing the first six games due to a calf injury. The unit also gave up 102 rushing yards to Najee Harris.

Finally, Ryan closed with going back to his original point about individual vs. team.

“When are we going to come like this (together)? When are we going to be like this instead of using one damn finger?” Ryan said. “Because I’ve seen a bunch of damn individuals.”

Ryan, one of the top defensive coordinators in the game, took over the Jets before the 2009 season and was the franchise’s head coach for six seasons. In his first two campaigns he led New York to the AFC Championship game, where it lost both times. He finished 46-50 with the Jets and was a head coach in Buffalo for two seasons, where he went 15-16.