Why did former NFL coach Rex Ryan refuse the defensive coordinator job with Dallas Cowboys?

Despite the fact that they are fresh off of a win against the New York Giants on Thursday night, one could argue that the Dallas Cowboys are not in a good place. Of course, while the debate about what exactly is wrong with the team continues, one commonality that comes up is the defense, or rather lack thereof. That’s where Rex Ryan comes in.

Rex Ryan doesn’t like the Cowboys but he could’ve been the DC

If you’ve caught any of Rex Ryan’s takes recently it’s probably clear that the former NFL coach is not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys in this 2024 season. Frankly, Ryan has been one of the team’s most vocal critics as the team has stumbled to a 2-2 record, calling them “hot garbage” during one of his appearances on ESPN.

Yet, what you may not know is that Ryan himself actually had the opportunity to work with the Cowboys but for a single stumbling block and that was money. “I could’ve fixed [the Cowboys’ defense] in a New York minute,” Ryan said on ESPN’s DiPietro and Rothenberg show. “But, that being said, they couldn’t pony up the money, or I would’ve been there.”

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Ryan didn’t stop there either as he then proceeded to criticize the Cowboys’ eventual choice for defensive coordinator, former Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer. “You brought in a guy that was 29th in the league his last two years at Minnesota, the enthusiasm he brings when he left, that’s the guy that’s gonna inspire you? This can go really bad for Dallas,” Ryan said.

Now, while it’s never nice to see one professional openly criticizing another, it would be dishonest to say that the Cowboys’ defense hasn’t been suspect at best and nonexistent at worst. To that end, Ryan, who most recently worked as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach (2015–16), is not wrong. Consider for a moment that prior to Thursday night’s win, the Boys’ defense had already conceded 89 points through three games, with 44 of them being scored by the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. This is all to say that Rex Ryan’s criticism aside, the Cowboys need to improve and fast.