The Giants officially won’t be losing their offensive or defensive coordinators. A huge win for a team looking to build off its first playoff appearance in six years.
The Colts and Cardinals filled their head coaching vacancies by hiring Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, respectively. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka appeared to be a finalist for the Arizona job, and the same went for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale with the Colts.
Losing Kafka would’ve been a detriment to Brian Daboll and his staff, but the offensive-minded head coach would’ve figured out how to proceed. While Kafka called the plays in his first season with the Giants, this is still Daboll’s offense. And it’s still Daboll who oversaw the growth of both quarterback Daniel Jones and the overall unit.
The true loss would’ve been Martindale. The veteran coordinator played a huge role in elevating a defense that played great down the stretch, including in the Wild Card playoff win over the Vikings. His blitz-heavy scheme helped maximize the talents of various defensive staples, including defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who led the team with 7.5 sacks and put together the best season of his career in 2022.
The Colts only announced the hire of Steichen on Tuesday and reports that they were zeroing in on him just came out Sunday morning. Losing Martindale that late in the yearly coaching carousel would’ve created an additional issue for Daboll. The head coach would’ve then needed to hone in on a limited list of candidates for such a crucial role. And who knows if the new hire would’ve even been a plausible replacement?
New York’s coordinator situation is the opposite of the division-rival Eagles. Philly is the first team to lose both its offensive and defensive coordinators in the same offseason since the 1994 San Francisco 49ers.
Follow ESNY on Twitter @elitesportsny
