Rex Ryan once had it tattooed on him, so Jets fans would know it's real.
Now gone from Gotham and moved west to Buffalo, Ryan has been seen decked out in Bills gear nearly everywhere he has gone -- but one reminder of his past with Gang Green remained on his right biceps. He had this marking, this reminder of better days gone by.
The coach needed a change, needed to move on, and dialed up a Scottsdale, Arizona, tattoo parlor for the solution.
"It's like a girl in a jersey and I wanted to change the colors of it," Old Town Ink tattoo artist Ben Verhoek recalled Ryan explaining, via The Wall Street Journal.
Ryan entered the parlor on Friday afternoon, removed his shirt and began the makeover of his memorable Jets-themed tattoo. The ink, drawn up to depict his wife in nothing but a Jets jersey -- a No. 6 Jets jersey, the number worn by former New York quarterback Mark Sanchez -- needed an update to reflect his new team.
Ryan sat as Verhoek colored in his arm blue to bring the coach's body art up to date.
But one question remains: Did he keep No. 6?
Closer examination of the stills included in The Wall Street Journal's accompanying video show the clear presence of Bills blue, and possible traces of red.
Is it just the reddening of Ryan's skin? Is it blood? Is it new red ink filling out the number six, on cartoon Michelle Ryan's new cartoon jersey of real punter Colton Schmidt?
The world may never know.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps Super Bowl XLIX, including Malcolm Butler's game-sealing interception, Tom Brady's legacy and more. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
