The Bills and Jets rivalry probably doesn't need to be spiced up, but Rex Ryan has decided to spice things up anyway.
The Bills have claimed linebacker IK Enemkpali off of waivers -- and yes, that's that same IK Enemkpali who was cut by the Jets after punching Geno Smith in the face on Tuesday.
The Jets released Enemkpali shortly after the incident, which meant the second-year player became subjected to waivers, where the Bills claimed him.
"If we didn't think [Enemkpali] would be successful on the football field, in our locker room and in our community, he would not be here," Ryan said after the team officially announced the move.
Enemkpali's move to Buffalo is an interesting one to say the least. With the Bills, Enemkpali will be reunited with the Ryan, who coached the linebacker during his rookie year with the Jets in 2014.
"I think it's clear there was a mistake [with the punch], nothing justifies hitting somebody and I'm not trying to say it wasn't a mistake," Ryan said. "But I also believe that he's going to learn from this and we'll give a chance to compete and there's no guarantee this young man makes our team."
If Enemkpali does make the team, he could be on the field playing against Smith as soon as Week 10, when the Jets host Buffalo for a Thursday night game.
Smith could definitely be on the field at that point. The Jets quarterback is expected to miss 6-10 weeks thanks to Enemkpali's punch, which means Smith should be back by Week 7, although Jets coach Todd Bowles has made it clear that Smith isn't guaranteed the starting job when he returns.
The Jets and Bills also play in Week 17.
With Enemkpali now headed for Buffalo, that will put extra pressure on the NFL to investigate the punch.
The league confirmed on Wednesday that it will be looking into the fight, which could lead to consequences for Enemkpali. The new Bills linebacker could potentially be punished for a possible violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The other thing that makes this situation interesting is the legal aspect. Bowles made it clear on Tuesday that Smith could end up pressing criminal charges against Enemkpali. However, that hasn't happened yet.
