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Report: Buffalo Bills hire Rex Ryan as head coach

By Josh Hill

Dec 21, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan coaches against the New England Patriots during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Jets 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan coaches against the New England Patriots during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Jets 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a somewhat shocking turn of events, the Buffalo Bills are set to hire former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. 

The Buffalo Bills were in the playoff hunt as the final weeks of the season played out, but they still lost their head coach in the offseason when Doug Marrone left the team to pursue other jobs. Any fan upset over the loss of Marron is forgetting his name already, as the team has found his successor in the most unlikely of places.

After appearing to be almost a lock to be the Atlanta Falcons next head coach, Rex Ryan has pivoted hard in a new direction. Instead of taking the job in Atlanta, Rex Ryan has instead agreed to become the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buffalo Bills are set to hire Rex Ryan as their next head coach.

This comes as a massive shock, as the frontrunners to land Ryan were the Atlanta Falcons, who satisfied the Rooney Rule last week in a move many thought was made to pave the way for Rex Ryan’s hiring. But now that he’ll be heading to Buffalo, the Falcons will continue their search for a head coach after what appears to be the first loss of a new season.

As for the Bills, they have found an absolute steal in Rex Ryan, who not only comes over with a bone to pick with everyone who doubted him but has remained int he AFC East. This means he’ll still get to see Tom Brady twice a year but gets the added bonus of facing the New York Jets as well.

The intrigue about this hire doesn’t end with the news that Rex Ryan is headed to Buffalo. The next question is, what does this mean for the future of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. There was the belief that if Ryan somehow took a job with the Bills, he’d want to run the defense, or at the very least try to bring in his brother Rob Ryan from the Saints.

Schwartz helped make the Bills defense stout in 2014, which means Ryan has a real decision to make as he settles into his new job.

It’s not a move anyone saw coming, but the first head coaching domino in the NFL has fallen, as Rex Ryan is headed to the Buffalo Bills to become the team’s unlikely next head coach.

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