Giants’ DC Patrick Graham signs contract extension

Patrick Graham will be sticking around as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants for a while. The team announced Tuesday evening that Graham has signed a contract extension and will not consider head-coaching opportunities this offseason.

The New York Jets had requested permission to interview Graham for their head-coaching vacancy after firing Adam Gase.

Graham came to the Giants after one season as defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. Under Graham’s direction, the Giants were ninth in the NFL in points allowed. In 2019, the Giants were 30th in the league in that category.

Linebacker Blake Martinez, who had worked with Graham for a year when Graham was an assistant with the green Bay Packers and Martinez was playing there, will be ecstatic. Here is what Martinez had said on Tuesday about the defensive coordinator:

“That’s one of those bittersweet things … I’m kinda like that Stage 5 clinger girlfriend. You’re not allowed to leave me. I’m going to find you.”

Martinez added that Graham is an “extremely amazing coach.”

Martinez tweeted his happiness at the news.

Graham and head coach Joe Judge were together for a few seasons as assistants with the New England Patriots. Graham said early in the season that Judge “laid out the vision pretty clear and now we’re trying to work to make the vision come to fruition.”

Now that he is staying, we know he will have more time to make that happen.