For naming IK Enemkpali a captain against Jets, hit Rex Ryan with a personal foul
Head coach Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills and head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants shake hands after the game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Oct. 4, 2015 in Orchard Park, N.Y. Credit: Getty Images / Brett Carlsen
Rex Ryan has a unique tradition of appointing team captains for individual games based on whether any of his players once played for the opposing team, or if there is some sort of symbolism associated with the opposition.
This time, though, he has gone too far.
A few weeks ago, he had the entire offensive line go out for the coin toss against the Jaguars in London because former Bills coach Doug Marrone now coaches for Jacksonville. In September, he had former Dolphins guard Richie Incognito, a central figure in a bullying scandal two years ago, join former Miami players Dan Carpenter and Charles Clay as captains for a road game against the Dolphins.
In poor taste? Yes, especially because Incognito caused such a national uproar regarding his behavior toward former teammate Jonathan Martin.
But Ryan's latest decision to appoint IK Enemkpali a team captain for Thursday night's game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium has crossed the line of decency, and the coach needs to grow up and change his mind.
Enemkpali blew apart the Jets' locker room Aug. 11 when he got into an argument with Geno Smith over a $600 airline ticket and slugged him in the jaw. Smith, who was Ryan's quarterback in his last two years with the Jets, has not started a game since, with Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the Jets to a 5-3 record heading into Ryan's first meeting against his old team.
What a terrible show of sportsmanship from the former Jets coach. Disgraceful, in fact.
Smith's career might never be the same, and for Ryan to so willfully and cavalierly anoint Enemkpali for the captaincy is an affront to common decency. It also is a right to the jaw of the NFL's efforts to address domestic violence and workplace harassment.
The Enemkpali-Smith altercation goes against the very essence of what the league is trying to accomplish in raising awareness about inappropriate behavior. As such, Enemkpali was banned for the first four games of the season. This after Ryan claimed him on waivers the day after the linebacker punched Smith.
Ryan deserved to be called out for bringing in Enemkpali so soon, and he was rightly criticized.
"I'll get ripped, whatever," Ryan said in divulging that Enemkpali will be a captain. He added that tight end Matt Mulligan, who used to play for the Jets, also will be a captain. "For them to be out there, you recognize their former teammates."
Baloney. It's a cheap ploy to motivate his team, and in this case, it's a bush-league move.
What kind of reaction will he get from Jets fans? "I think we all know. There will be a lot of waving out there. One finger,'' Ryan said. "That much is a given.''
Ryan insists he will treat this as just another game and not a chance to get back at his old team. "This is strictly about us versus another opponent," he said. "Both teams are battling to get to the playoffs. That's what this is about. That's really where it should be. The attention should be on that. It shouldn't be about me or anybody else."
Nonsense. You don't send out the player who cold-cocked your former quarterback in the locker room three months ago and make him a team captain against your old team. That's all about you, Rex, and you know it.
Ryan insists it's nothing of the kind. "That is in my past," he said of the Jets. "This is about going against another opponent. Really no more, no less than that.''
Rubbish.
Ryan gave Jets fans plenty of good memories during his time as coach. Part of his charm was his fearlessness against guys like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, but the chirping and the Super Bowl guarantees eventually grew tired, and with a crumbling roster, Ryan's time had come to a logical conclusion after last season.
He's needlessly stepping on his own legacy and Jets fans surely will let him have it Thursday night. As well they should. It's a tasteless move.
While he's at it, Ryan might as well appoint one more former Jet as a captain: himself.
After all, that's who this is really all about.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
