Giants Hiring Jason Garrett as Offensive Coordinator

The New York Giants have made a rather expected move. Even so, it’s a pretty big deal.

According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has agreed to become the Giants’ offensive coordinator on Friday.

Garrett has not been a stranger in the Giants limelight. Once ex-head coach Pat Shurmur sat on the hot seat midseason, reports indicated that the organization had “strong interest” in bringing in Garrett. After the Cowboys missed the playoffs on an 8-8 record, Garrett’s contract went un-renewed.

The team requested permission to interview Garrett, but hired Judge as head coach two days later. Once his Dallas contract expired on Jan. 14, bringing him in for a meeting for the vacant offensive coordinator position.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Garrett and Judge hit it off and were on the same page once meeting this past Wednesday. The delay in the hiring came from Garrett needing time to speak with his family before making the move to New Jersey.

Garrett received the a-okay, and is now the offensive play-caller for the Giants.

Garrett’s Giants Ties

Garrett is no stranger to the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. He played quarterback for Princeton during his collegiate days before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent. After stops with various other teams, Garrett signed on with the Giants in 2000, where he served as the backup to then-starter Kerry Collins up until 2003.

Garrett’s Offensive Impact with Giants

Judge was missing something on his staff, and that was someone with head coaching experience. Considering Judge has never been a head coach or called offensive plays up to this point, Garrett seemingly fits the bill. If there’s one thing of concern, it’s that Garrett hasn’t called plays since 2012.

In his six years of play-calling (2007-12), Dallas’ offense averaged a ranking of 12th in the entire league.

Garrett’s offense primarily featured the quarterback throwing on the move, mostly on bootlegs. Luckily for him, there is a positive. He has Daniel Jones as his signal caller. Jones flashed signs of brilliance in his rookie year, especially when on the run. Garrett can use Jones’ athleticism to his advantage and help him progress in his sophomore season.

For that to work, however, the Giants needs to bolster their offensive line. In Garrett’s ten-plus years in Dallas, the Cowboys have always had a top-ranked o-line unit. The Giants, well, have struggled following their Super Bowl XLVI victory back in 2012. To make the jobs of Garrett and Judge easier, they’d have to make offensive line the main priority in either free agency or the NFL Draft.

Garrett’s name left a sour taste in the mouths of analysts and Giants fans once mentioned as a potential head coach candidate. But as offensive coordinator, there’s a bit more optimism, specifically when it comes to the developments of Jones, Saquon Barkley, and Darius Slayton. Just like Judge, we’ll have to wait and see if Garrett can bring the Giants offense to new heights.