Giants Interested in Former Cowboys Coach as Offensive Coordinator

Daniel Jones of the New York Giants calls an offensive huddle

When word broke early Tuesday morning that the New York Giants had requested an interview with former Dallas Cowboys head football coach Jason Garrett, the majority believed it would be for the vacancy left behind by former Giants coach Pat Shurmur.

However, the G-Men apparently had different plans. After the Giants announced the hiring of former New England Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge as their head coach on Tuesday afternoon, the Garrett-Giants marriage seemed dead in the dirt, until it wasn’t.

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Giants Interested in Jason Garrett as Offensive Coordinator

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that when the Giants initially requested an interview with former Dallas Cowboys head man Jason Garrett, it was with the idea that Garrett would have an opportunity to nail down the head coaching vacancy in New York. However, things took a turn on Tuesday, as the coaching dominos began to fall.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post believes that now Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was the clear-cut favorite for the Giants head gig. Once Rhule agreed to terms with the Panthers, New York decided to move quickly, locking in Joe Judge as their new head coach.

Yet, despite the hiring of Judge, the Giants plan to continue forward with their requested interview with Garrett. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, New York is hopeful to have Garrett serve under new head coach Joe Judge as the team’s offensive coordinator.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has pointed out that despite the Cowboys hiring of Mike McCarthy, the Giants had to request permission to interview Garrett due to the fact that he is still under contract until January 14.

What Would Garrett Bring to the Giants Offense?

Jason Garrett has caught a ton of flack over the last few seasons, some of which was well deserved. The Dallas Cowboys have had one of the better rosters year in and year out, however, they’ve continued to underperform under Garrett’s tutelage.

With that said, Jason Garrett the head coach, and Jason Garrett the offensive coordinator are two different animals. Prior to being named the Cowboys head man back in 2011, Garrett was once looked at in the same light as modern-day offensive geniuses such as Sean McVay and Sean Payton. While serving as Dallas’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2010, Garrett coached three top-seven offenses, including two offenses that finished their respective seasons in the top-three. The Cowboys also finished 2019 as the number-one offense in football, although Kellen Moore took over play-calling duties this season.

New York’s offense, on the other hand, has been one of the league’s bottom-dwellers, despite having talents such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley at their disposal in recent seasons. The Giants haven’t finished within the top half of the league in total offense in four straight years.

Garrett also has history with Giants beyond coaching against them twice a year for the past 12-seasons. Dating back to Garrett’s playing days, the potential new OC of the G-Men served as their backup quarterback from 2000-2003.

New York has a solid group of building blocks on the offensive side of the ball, mainly Daniel Jones and Barkley. While Garrett’s recent run of inept success may leave a sour taste in the mouths of Giants fans, this familiar face may be just what New York needs to jump-start their offense.

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