Bills GM doesn't know why Rex Ryan was fired, says he wasn't part of decision
If you find yourself wondering what in the world is going on up in Orchard Park, you aren't alone.
In fact, the Buffalo Bills general manager may be right there with you.
Doug Whaley told reporters at his season-ending press conference Monday that the decision to fire Rex Ryan was made by ownership, and he doesn't know why the move was made, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.
The response to a question about whether he was on board with the move didn't exactly do much to clear up the puzzling situation.
#Bills GM Doug Whaley said "I haven't even thought about it" if he agreed or disagreed on the Rex Ryan firing. My goodness gracious.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) January 2, 2017
NFL organizations can have many different leaderships structures. As Whaley confirmed Monday, via Sal Capaccio of WGR 550, both he and Ryan reported to ownership separately as part of their respective jobs.
Opinions on such an arrangement could vary, and head coach dismissals have certainly come straight from ownership in the past, but for the general manager to not even be made aware of the reasoning is particularly odd.
Nevertheless, with the team recently confirming that he'll lead the next coaching search, Whaley appears set to return for a fifth season as general manager.
He explained as part of Monday's media availability that the reporting structure for the 2017 season will be determined during the interview process.