The New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge after just two seasons on the job on Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The team later confirmed Judge's dismissal and announced it would first hire a general manager, who would subsequently lead the search for the next head coach. Previous GM Dave Gettleman announced his retirement on Monday.
"Steve (Tisch) and I both believe it is in the best interest of our franchise to move in another direction," team president John Mara said in a statement. "We met with Joe yesterday afternoon to discuss the state of the team. I met again with Joe this afternoon, and it was during that conversation I informed Joe of our decision. We appreciate Joe's efforts on behalf of the organization.
"I said before the season started that I wanted to feel good about the direction we were headed when we played our last game of the season. Unfortunately, I cannot make that statement, which is why we have made this decision.
"We will hire a general manager and that person will lead the effort to hire a new head coach."
The 40-year-old Judge was hired prior to the 2020 season as the latest new face on the Big Blue sideline looking to reignite the glory of yesteryear. But Judge, like Pat Shurmur and Ben McAdoo before him, was not given the opportunity to coach a third season.
Judge went 10-23 in his two seasons as head coach.
While the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings fired their head coaches within 24 hours of the end of their seasons, Giants management went through two days of meetings with Judge regarding the direction of the team before coming to a decision to relieve him of his duties.
New York went 4-13 in 2021, tying a franchise-worst for losses in a season, with six consecutive defeats to end the campaign -- and Judge's tenure. His time in Gotham began much the same with Judge's 2020 Giants losing their first five en route to a 6-10 showing. Down the stretch of that first season, the Giants showed some life and things appeared to be heading in the right direction.
However, the 2021 season was marked by Judge passionately speaking about how the team was making strides internally that would lead to 2022 success and defending his tenure by saying the Giants weren't a "clown organization" following a 29-3 loss to the Bears in Week 17. But fiery press conferences hardly distracted from the mounting losses on the field.
The lack of results far outweighed the histrionics at the news conferences.
A former special teams coordinator with the New England Patriots, Judge brought an old-school approach to his first head-coaching opportunity that garnered headlines as he made players and even coaches run as punishment.
As his approach was seen by some as a method from the past, his teams failed to take steps toward the future.
Former first-round pick Daniel Jones battled injuries and failed to progress as the team's hopeful franchise quarterback. Running back Saquon Barkley's injuries carried on and his production waned. The offensive line remained an issue as the Giants offense averaged a paltry 16.3 points per game during Judge's two years, which was last in the NFL during that time. The Giants fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett midway through the 2021 season, but the move did not spark results as the unit regressed after Garrett was let go.
In that same span, his defenses breathed signs of hope but were still ranked 17th overall.
The Giants looked to make a splash in the 2021 offseason, signing wide receiver John Ross and tight end Kyle Rudolph, among others, while making the huge move to sign wide receiver Kenny Golladay. All of those moves fell reasonably flat.
The hope was Judge would resurrect a proud franchise from the doldrums of a postseason drought that dates back to 2016. Instead, Judge's two seasons saw the Giants elongate a string of double-digit-loss seasons in a row to five. The team hasn't won a playoff game since Super Bowl XLVI to cap the 2011 season and has just one playoff trip over the past 10 years.
The jury is in and Judge is out.
Another new dawn is on the horizon for the Giants.
