The New York Giants season of discontent among the coaching staff came to a head on Monday, Jan. 8, when Don "Wink" Martindale resigned as defensive coordinator.
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted the news of Martindale's resignation.
A top defensive coordinator now available:
Sources say the #Giants and DC Don “Wink” Martindale are parting ways.
Martindale interviewed for HC jobs in the past, and he could get more looks, as well. pic.twitter.com/NipxKdM0aA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2024
Following a strong debut season in 2022, Martindale's defense took a significant step backwards this season, finishing as the NFL's No. 26 ranked total defense. The Giants allowed 23.9 points per game, the seventh-highest average in the NFL.
Despite the Giants' struggles this past season, Martindale is still a well-respected defensive coordinator inside the league, and could be a coveted candidate both for teams with stability at head coach but potentially in the market for a new defensive coordinator and as a coordinator for a new incoming staff.
Here's a look at five potential best fits for Martindale, following his Giants resignation:
Green Bay Packers
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
It is seemingly a foregone conclusion that when the Packers' postseason run ends that head coach Matt LaFleur will be in the market for a replacement for embattled defensive coordinator Joe Barry.
LaFleur has plenty of respect for Martindale, whose defense sealed a victory late over the Packers when the Giants toppled Green Bay 27-22 late in a game in London.
"Coach Martindale's a guy that I've had experience going against quite a few times when he was in Baltimore," LaFleur said before losing to the Giants in 2022. "He kicked the crap out of us when I was in Tennessee and he was in Baltimore. That was a humbling day.
"He's a guy that he does a great job just putting people in position and he presents a lot of different challenges for an offense."
Given the Packers' struggle to generate pressure on the quarterback this season, LaFleur might be drawn to Martindale's experience, track record of success and aggressive scheme.
Philadelphia Eagles
Whether Nick Sirianni survives the Eagles losing five of the final six games and limping to the No. 5 seed in the NFC Playoffs remains to be seen. But, Philadelphia will in all likelihood be looking to replace defensive coordinator Matt Patricia in 2024.
The foundation of the Eagles' defense is built upon a dominant front-seven with young talent wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
Given the fact that Martindale blitzed 42.2 percent of the time, philosophically, he might be a perfect fit for what general manager Howie Roseman has built on the defensive side of the ball. Likewise, the opportunity to face head coach Brian Daboll and the Giants twice each season might be alluring to Martindale.
Baltimore Ravens
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There's a good chance that the Ravens are going to be in the market for a defensive coordinator, with Mike MacDonald expected to be one of the most coveted head coaching candidates this offseason. Might a Martindle return to Baltimore be in the cards?
"We have had a great run on defense, and I am very proud of what has been accomplished and the work he has done," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement when Martindale was fired in 2022. "Don has been a major contributor to the success of our defense since 2012, and especially since he became defensive coordinator four years ago. He has done a great job. Now it is time to pursue other opportunities.
There would obviously be some strong familiarity between Harbaugh and Martindale, and the Ravens have significantly upgraded the defensive personnel since moving on from Martindale two seasons ago. There would need to be some bridge building on both sides, in all likelihood, but there might not be a stronger candidate to replace MacDonald without the Ravens' defense skipping a beat than martindale.
Washington Commanders
There is going to be a new coaching staff in Washington in 2024, and especially if the Commanders wind up hiring a young up-and-coming offensive coordinator as head coach, don't be surprised if Martindale is brought onboard in an assistant head coach type role.
Washington is going to need to overhaul much of the defense, but given his wealth of experience, Martindale might be the ideal coordinator to oversee and get the most out of a rebuild.
Minnesota Vikings
If Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores winds up getting a head coaching job this cycle, Minnesota might have an ideal replacement available in Martindale.
After all, the Vikings are the only team with a higher blitz percentage than the Giants in 2023, and have the personnel in place to execute Martindale's hyper-aggressive and blitz oriented scheme at a high level. Martindale's defense helped topple the Vikings in the NFC Wild Card round, following the 2022 season. If the Vikings job comes open, Martindale may be a natural fit.
