Rex Ryan’s NSFW Fourth Of July Shirt Sparked A 'Bang-er' Debate

Rex Ryan brought fireworks and a little controversy to the Fourth of July this year with a shirt that had everyone talking.

The former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst celebrated Independence Day with former co-workers Sage Steele and Sam Ponder, posing for a photo on a lakeside dock.

But while the patriotic vibes were strong, it was Rex Ryan’s red t-shirt that stole the show.

Boldly printed across his chest, a fireworks graphic and the pun-heavy phrase, “Just here to bang.”

Steele, clearly in on the joke, posted the photo to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “If Rex Ryan's t-shirt doesn't make your day like it made mine (and @samponder), not sure what will. Happy belated 4th of July!”

Reactions poured in, and as expected, the internet had thoughts.

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin weighed in with a simple facepalm emoji, while one user joked, “Gotta be the most American shirt I’ve seen in years.” Another added, “I love that conservative women have a sense of humor. Also, I need this shirt.”

Not everyone was amused. Critics chimed in, calling the shirt “cringe” and suggesting, “Alright, someone get HR on the line.”

The dockside gathering, featuring three personalities who’ve each parted ways with ESPN under different circumstances, also reignited attention on Steele and Ponder’s public criticism of the network’s culture and perceived political leanings.

Both women have since aligned themselves more publicly with conservative viewpoints, with Steele even suing ESPN over alleged free speech violations before settling out of court.

"Steele was punished for speaking her truth in violation of freedom of speech protections under Connecticut law and the U.S. constitution," her attorney said at the time. "ESPN violated her free speech rights, retaliated against her, reprimanded her, scapegoated her, allowed the media and her peers to excoriate her and forced her to apologize simply because her personal opinions did not align with Disney's corporate philosophy of the moment. Sage is standing up to corporate America to ensure employees don't get their rights trampled on or their opinions silenced."

Adding to the internet frenzy, Ryan’s recent antics reminded fans of another viral moment, one that’s become part of his personal brand: his infamous foot fetish.

Just months ago, Ryan accidentally reignited those headlines after showing off his phone’s lock screen live on "Sunday NFL Countdown." While intending to share a sweet photo of his wife, Michelle, viewers quickly noticed the image was a close-up of her bare feet, shot from below while she sat casually looking at her phone.

The internet exploded with jokes and jabs, resurrecting the 2010 controversy when videos surfaced of Ryan filming and discussing Michelle’s feet, a scandal that rocked his tenure as Jets head coach.

Naturally, fans didn’t miss the opportunity to reference it again under Steele’s Fourth of July post.

“Cover those feet!” one commenter wrote.

“Is there a picture of feet on the back?” another joked, referring to the back of Ryan’s shirt.

“Lucky to make it out with all 10 toes,” added one fan, clearly in tune with Ryan’s long-standing reputation.

Speaking on "ESPN Radio" last week, Tannenbaum said, “He understood. We’re friends. He had an at-bat, a meaningful one, and obviously, it didn’t go his way.”

Tannenbaum added that Ryan still has “a lot of great gifts” as a coach and left the door open for a possible return in the future. “If he wants to coach, hopefully that’ll work out for him sooner rather than later.”

For now, Ryan seems content stirring up headlines off the field, whether it’s with his fashion choices, his infamous lock screen, or his unforgettable Fourth of July flair.

While rumors of his return to coaching (including a brief link to the New York Jets) have fizzled out.