ESPN NFL analyst Rex Ryan had a hilarious quote when reacting to the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.

Mike Vrabel will be the new head coach for the Patriots, and Rex Ryan is hoping that they'll see each other twice a year.

Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan offered his reaction to the New England Patriots' decision to hire Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo.

The New England Patriots are in for a busy offseason. New England finished the 2024 season with a record of 4-13 and sat at the bottom of the AFC East division standings. The Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.

Rex Ryan is hopeful to get the chance to face Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots in 2025 if he returns to the New York Jets. “Hey, man, hopefully, I get to kick this guy’s ass twice a year,” Ryan said on ESPN on Sunday when asked for his reaction to the Patriots hiring Vrabel. “... My team. Not me personally.

The New England Patriots have apparently found their next head coach and the name is not a shocker, as it was reported Sunday morning that Mike Vrabel has agreed to take over the reins of a franchise where he spent eight years of his NFL playing career and won three Super Bowls.

Rex Ryan is eager to return to an NFL sideline, especially if it’s a reunion with the New York Jets. So much so in fact, the ESPN NFL Countdown analyst couldn’t help but take a dig at new New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel when asked about the Sunday morning news of his hiring.

Ryan has been campaigning for the Jets’ head coaching job since the team fired after Week 5. Most recently, he told Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg that he “absolutely” will get the job because he’s “the best guy” on their morning show on ESPN New York.

Rex Ryan has been very openly campaigning for the New York Jets to bring him back as their head coach, and the ESPN analyst made yet another pitch while reacting to some big news on Sunday.

The New York Jets have already interviewed eight head coaching candidates, but one of them has already been eliminated from consideration.

Rex Ryan's bold response to the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel showcased the personality that defined his previous tenure with the New York Jets.

The Jets and Patriots are both in the AFC East division, meaning they play each other twice a season. Vrabel replaces Jerod Mayo, who was fired last Sunday after just one year as the Patriots head coach. Mayo replaced Bill Belichick, who split from the franchise last year after 24 seasons.