Rex Ryan On “Costas Tonight”

Ryan told Bob Costas on Costas Tonight that he’s glad the league has forced defensive players to aim for shoulder-to-shoulder hits — not helmet-to-helmet hits — in collisions with defenseless opponents.

“The number one thing is obviously the safety of players,” Ryan said. “Even lowering the target on hitting defenseless players — you know, I love hitting as much as anybody. I think it changes the game, a big hit and things. But you see it . . . when we decided to lower the target on players, it worked. It’s all about player safety but the game is still physical and aggressive.”