Giants sign defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to contract extension
Pat Graham isn’t going anywhere.
The Giants’ defensive coordinator/assistant head coach signed a contract extension with the team on Tuesday and has decided not to consider head coaching opportunities for 2021, the team announced. The Giants had received a request from the Jets on Monday to interview Graham, 41, for their head coaching vacancy. But Graham will not take the interview.
Graham has never been a head coach but did a good job in his first season running Big Blue’s defense.
Middle linebacker Blake Martinez admitted on Tuesday morning that he was not thrilled about the possibility that Graham might leave.
“I’m kinda that stage 5 clinger girlfriend,” Martinez said. “Like, ‘You’re not allowed to leave me. I’m gonna find you.’”
The Giants were 9th in average points allowed (22.3) and 12th in yards (349.3) this season, dramatic improvements over being 30th in points (28.2) and 25th in yards (377.3) in 2019.
The Giants’ defensive improvement coincided with an infusion of talent, including free agent signings Martinez, James Bradberry, Logan Ryan and Leonard Williams’ first full season.
But Graham did well with what he had to keep the Giants in most of their games, and most importantly, he bounced back from subpar game plans against the Browns and Ravens to shut down the Cowboys in Week 17.
SIGNINGS
The Giants signed RB Jordan Chunn and WR Derrick Dillon to future contracts. Dillon spent a large part of the 2020 season with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. Chubb is a former undrafted free agent out of Troy who spent time with Jason Garrett’s Cowboys in 2018-19.
