Count Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly among those who believes it's a make-or-break season for Rex Ryan.
The Hall of Fame quarterback told "The Jim Rome Show" that he thinks the Bills must make the playoffs for the coach to retain his job.
"I think Rex will probably be looking for another job (if they don't make the playoffs)," Kelly said Thursday. "I think everybody knows that, including Rex."
There were rumblings last season that the Bills' brass wasn't pleased with Ryan's performance in his first year in Buffalo, leading to the assumption the coach is in a must-win season.
Ryan recently told The MMQB's Jenny Vrentas he doesn't feel pressure from such reports.
"The media looks at it (like), Well, we have to win this year," Ryan said. "Or what? Oh, I am going to be fired? I don't think so. I'm not going to worry about it, because we are going to win anyway. But it's like, that is an ultimatum. No."
Kelly said the key for the Bills is staying healthy. With star wideout Sammy Watkins undergoing offseason surgery and first-round pick Shaq Lawson likely to miss the start of the season, it's not a great beginning for Ryan's campaign.
"On paper, yeah, we look great, and we should be a very good team, but you cannot go to the playoffs, you cannot win championships when you're spending most of your time in the training room," Kelly said.
A poor performance from Ryan's defense in 2015 placed him squarely on the hot seat. Another down year could push him out the door.
