Rex Ryan Arrested in Nashville: Charged After Truck Hit 2 Pedestrians

Last updated: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, 12:10 p.m. ET. We'll add a court date and any statement from Ryan or his lawyer once they're public.

Rex Ryan was arrested in Nashville on Wednesday morning. The former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach, now 63, turned himself in to Metro Nashville police on six misdemeanor warrants, the department said in a news release.

Police say Ryan's pickup truck ran over two pedestrians' feet in a downtown crosswalk, and that after the pair caught up with him at the next light, he got out, argued with them and drove off.

What police say happened on Broadway

The account comes from the Metro Nashville Police Department and the two pedestrians. Here is the sequence as the department laid it out:

1. Shortly before midnight last Thursday, Nov. 5, two people were crossing Broadway from Fourth Avenue on a walk signal.
2. A pickup truck turned right off Fourth Avenue and ran over both people's feet. It also made contact with one person's leg.
3. The truck kept going, but stopped at a red light at Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way, a block over.
4. The pedestrians waved the driver down there. They told police he stepped out, argued with them, got back in and left.
5. They took photos of the driver and the license plate. Police say the plate is registered to Ryan.

Both pedestrians had minor injuries, police said. Fourth and Broadway sits in the middle of Lower Broadway's honky-tonk strip, one of the busiest walking areas in the city late at night.

One detail differs between reports. WSMV 4 in Nashville described the incident as happening late on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The police release itself says shortly before midnight "last Thursday," which is Nov. 5.

Rex Ryan charges and bond

Ryan is charged with six misdemeanors, two counts each of:

• Leaving the scene of an accident
• Failure to give information or render aid
• Failure to obey a traffic control signal

A judicial commissioner set his bond at $6,000, according to police. The release didn't include a court date. These are accusations, and Ryan hasn't been convicted of anything. As of this update, the police announcement didn't include any comment from him or an attorney.

What a hit-and-run charge means in Tennessee

Tennessee law requires a driver in a crash that injures anyone to stop and stay at the scene until certain duties are done. Leaving before that is a Class A misdemeanor under Tennessee Code § 55-10-101, the most serious misdemeanor class in the state. A Class A misdemeanor carries up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The same statute makes it a felony only when the driver knew or should have known someone died, which doesn't apply here.

The "information or aid" charge ties to § 55-10-103. It requires the driver to give their name, address and vehicle registration number, show a license if asked, and help get an injured person to medical care when treatment is clearly needed or requested. Police say the pedestrians talked to the driver at the red light, which is why the alleged failure to exchange that information matters to the case.

Those are maximums, not predictions. Nothing about how this case will be resolved is known yet.

Who is Rex Ryan?

Ryan is one of the louder personalities the NFL has produced in the past 20 years. He spent a decade on the Baltimore Ravens' defensive staff before the Jets hired him as head coach in 2009. New York reached the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons, the first back-to-back conference title trips in team history, and he coached the team through 2014. He then coached the Bills in 2015 and 2016.

He's the son of the late Buddy Ryan, the defensive coordinator behind the 1985 Chicago Bears' famous "46" defense, and the twin brother of longtime NFL defensive coach Rob Ryan.

Since leaving the sideline, he has built a second career on television as an NFL analyst for ESPN, and he's been all over sports pages this week for his on-air takes. That's part of why "Rex Ryan arrested" took off so quickly Wednesday. Google Trends showed searches for his name climbing past 2,000 within hours of the police release, alongside related searches such as "Rex Ryan ESPN" and "Rex Ryan Nashville."

What happens next

The case will move through Davidson County's courts like any other misdemeanor matter. The next public steps are a first court appearance and any filing from Ryan's side.

It's been a busy NFL week even without this. Tuesday's deadline brought the Kirk Cousins trade back to Minnesota, and the Jaguars made their big move a day earlier with the Jessie Bates trade.

This story relies on the police department's account and early local reporting. If Ryan disputes it, we'll add his side here.