When you think of the great football families in NFL history, the Ryans are certainly among the pantheon of greatness — and not purely due to their connection to the New York Jets.

Buddy Ryan was the architect of the 1985 Chicago Bears defense, considered one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. He later turned around the Philadelphia Eagles and propelled Reggie White into legend status.

Buddy’s son, Rex Ryan, was the Jets’ head coach after a dynamic run as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. He’s still the only coach since Bill Parcells to lead the team to the AFC championship game, and even beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, as well as Peyton Manning, in the playoffs.

Now, it’s Rex’s son’s turn to make an impact in the NFL.

Today, we’ll look at the three non-Rex-specific reasons Jets fans should feel excited about their new passing game coordinator, Seth Ryan.

1. Coaching tree inspires positive vibes

Seth Ryan’s NFL coaching career is still in its early stages, as he’s only 31. While that may concern some fans, Ryan’s been coached under arguably the best offensive mind in today’s game…

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.

In 2024, Johnson spoke about Ryan and many of the Detroit Lions’ assistant coaches. The highlight focused on Ryan’s creativity — something Johnson has been described as himself.

“They’ve been in charge of our specials for not just this year, but for the last few years, and there’s a reason why we have probably a little higher success rate for those special plays, and they’re a big reason why,” Johnson said in 2024. “They have a ton of creativity, they bring a lot of ideas to the table, so I really wanted to start off here today by giving them a shoutout.”

Working under Johnson provides Ryan with the kind of experience and expertise in the modern offense that fans around the league can find intriguing. Pairing him with a veteran play-caller in Frank Reich could be an excellent fit.

2. Adaptation to quarterback outlook

Speaking of Reich, the Jets’ offensive coordinator has a certain quarterback build he will want to see with the team in 2026. After an illustrious career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and San Diego Chargers, Reich may be fair in his overall assessment of wanting big quarterbacks with big arms.

Ryan has no such loyalty, though.

By marrying Johnson’s modern concepts with the old-school feel of a Reich offense, the Jets do not have to pigeonhole themselves into philosophies and concepts that may not match the modern game.

Ryan has only worked with Jared Goff, but the Lions’ starting quarterback is quite different than Nick Foles, Andrew Luck, Carson Wentz, and even Jacoby Brissett, who are more athletic at the position.

Could the Jets be interested in shorter quarterbacks now with Ryan in the fold?

It’s all on the table with his hire. New York won’t be capped by what a quarterback can do.

3. A natural gamble

New York is not asking Ryan to call offensive plays this year. Instead, the organization is simply asking him to help design the passing concepts — particularly in the week-to-week game-plan area — modernize Reich’s offense, and develop young talent across the offense.

This is expected without the pressures of a coordinator or play-caller role.

It’s always a gamble to hire a coach who is just 31. There will be players on the 2026 Jets who are older than Ryan, but Ryan’s credentials aren’t just legit; they also share a coaching story that’s up to snuff with 2026 offensive football.

Seth Ryan could be exactly what the New York Jets need going forward. It could be classified as a bit of a gamble, but it’s one that good football teams have no problem making — when a young coach is on the come-up.