ESPN
ESPN’s Rex Ryan was extremely emotional during ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
On Sunday morning, the NY Jets announced that Nick Mangold had died at age 41 after suffering from kidney disease.
“Nick was more than a legendary center,” said Jets Chairman Woody Johnson. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”
We are heartbroken to share the news of Nick Mangold’s sudden passing.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 26, 2025
An emotional Ryan, who coached Mangold in New York, couldn’t hold back tears as he spoke about his former player.
“It’s just… it’s brutal”. “Such a great young man. The pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets.
“I remember, it was obvious I was getting fired. My last game Mangold’s injured. Like, injured. He comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ He wanted to play for me. That’s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome and just way too young. I feel awful for his wife and family… Rough.”
Rex Ryan mourns the loss of his former player Nick Mangold following his death from kidney disease. pic.twitter.com/xhpJJ0yue3
— ESPN (@espn) October 26, 2025
Former Jets players from Ryan’s tenure in New York also honored Mangold after his death.
We lost a good man today. I know @nickmangold will be a hall-of-famer, but there’s more to his story than his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was more than a teammate. He was my big brother who introduced me to the NFL. He showed me the ropes. He was my friend and confidant.… pic.twitter.com/45FlFnTTzG
— Mark Sanchez (@Mark_Sanchez) October 26, 2025
𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆.
𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿
𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲…
— Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) October 26, 2025