The usual injury report could wait this week. Instead, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan started his Friday news conference by aggressively addressing the New York Daily News report that he wanted out of New York if offensive changes aren't made to his staff.
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Rex called the report "garbage" and "untrue."
"This is the only team that I want to coach. Period," Ryan said. "Anybody that knows me knows that I'm telling you the truth."
Ryan called out the Daily News' reporting and repeatedly made the same point about his future.
"I'm proud to be a Jet," Ryan said. "Sometimes I'm proud to be a Jet more than others. This season has been a rough one. But this is my team. I want to be the Jets' head coach for the next 15 years. This is the job I've always wanted, and that's it."
Ryan said he never would put an ultimatum on Jets owner Woody Johnson regarding terms of his future employment. Ryan said he spoke with Johnson the moment he saw the story.
"I was disappointed and mad as a hornet," Ryan said. And later: "I spoke to the reporter, and he elected not to put my response in."
Either Ryan put together an acting performance worthy of an Oscar on Friday or he doesn't want to be coaching anywhere else. That doesn't mean Ryan isn't planning to make the offensive changes mentioned in the report.
Asked to address offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's future, Ryan deflected the question. Ryan said he hadn't spoken to Sparano about the issue, although he did address the team as a whole.
The drama is just starting in New York heading into the offseason, but Ryan should be the one leading this circus once again.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
