Rex Ryan

Would a Rex Ryan-Marc Trestman pairing work? (AP Photo | Lynne Sladky)

(Lynne Sladky)

Former Jets coach Rex Ryan hasn't officially landed his next head coaching job yet. But if he does, he reportedly has a good idea about who he wants to coordinate his offense:

Which begs the question: Why?

(UPDATE: San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman has now emerged as the favorite to become Ryan's next offensive coordinator, a source with knowledge of Ryan's situation confirmed. Ryan is heading to Buffalo to become the Bills' head coach.)

Ryan has a defensive background, and he was barely involved in the offensive side of the ball during his six seasons with the Jets. So it makes sense that he wants to hire a prominent offensive name.

But Trestman?

He was just fired as the Bears' head coach. Quarterback Jay Cutler struggled in two seasons under Trestman, a former longtime quarterbacks coach.

Cutler this season averaged 6.8 yards per pass attempt, his lowest since 2009, and the second-lowest of his nine-year career. Over the past two seasons combined, Cutler threw 47 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Pro Football Focus rated Cutler 32nd out of 39 NFL quarterbacks this season and 10th out of 42 last season.

Certainly, some of those struggles stemmed from Cutler himself. But the Bears never could get their offense flowing in Trestman's final season. They finished 14th in offensive DVOA this season, as calculated by Football Outsiders. Last season, the Bears finished sixth in offensive DVOA, which is not too bad at all.

But on a whole, they should have been a better offense, considering their talent level, with players like Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall.

Trestman clearly isn't NFL head coach material. He went 8-8 and 5-11 with the Bears, and probably won't get another shot at an NFL head coaching job. That doesn't mean he can't run another team's offense, though.

Trestman was a respected offensive mind before going to the Bears. He coached the Canadian Football League team in Montreal from 2008-12 and was North Carolina State's offensive coordinator from 2005-06. He has also been the offensive coordinator for the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals and Raiders. So he has a track record in the NFL.

While Ryan pairing with Trestman might seem crazy, considering the Bears just turfed Trestman, it really isn't all that wild of an idea, if you think about the offensive coordinators who are available to pick from. Trestman is not necessarily an ideal choice, but Ryan will have to work with the coordinators who are available this offseason.

Ryan knows his limitations. He knows he is always going to be a defensive-minded head coach. He knows he needs a sharp offensive coordinator if he ever wants to win a Super Bowl as a head coach. He still believes he is going to do it, by the way.

The Jets' offense never found a consistent groove under Ryan, who employed three offensive coordinators: Brian Schottenheimer, Tony Sparano and Marty Mornhinweg. And it's been obvious for a while now that Ryan and Mornhinweg likely will never work together again.

The Jets' offensive problems contributed largely to Ryan being fired. So did their inconsistent quarterback play, and their inability to develop two young signal-callers -- first Mark Sanchez, and then Geno Smith.

If Ryan lands the Falcons job (and he reportedly has a second interview with Atlanta), he would have the luxury of a proven veteran quarterback, Matt Ryan.

Matt Ryan also is a better player than Cutler. Would Trestman be able to make more out of the Falcons' offense with Matt Ryan than he did out of the Bears' offense with Cutler?

A stable quarterback situation is not something the 49ers and Bills enjoy. Those are the two other teams with whom Ryan has interviewed.

Nine former Jets still in contention for a Super Bowl ring this season:

former jets in 2015 nfl playoffs 10 Gallery: former jets in 2015 nfl playoffs

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.