National Football League

Jay Glazer: Tension between Giants' Brian Daboll, Wink Martindale; Aaron Rodgers update

Updated Nov. 26, 2023 1:39 p.m. ET

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There's some drama brewing within the Giants' coaching staff amid their 3-8 season.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale are in such a "bad place" that it's likely Martindale won't be in East Rutherford once the season ends, if not sooner, NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer reported Sunday.

"There could be a mutual parting of the ways [during the season]," Glazer said on "FOX NFL Sunday." "When I talk to people inside that organization, they're saying the tension between these two — you can feel it. It's just getting worse and it's just odd that it's happened considering the success they had last season together."

The Giants have been disappointing in all phases of the game after going 9-7-1 last season to make the playoffs. They rank 28th in total defense and scoring defense. They've been even worse offensively, ranking 31st in total offense and dead last in scoring.

The reported tension between Daboll and Martindale was on display during the Giants' Week 10 loss to the Cowboys as the two coaches had a heated exchange in the first half. Martindale downplayed the interaction in the days following the game.

"He and I talk all the time," Martindale told reporters. "But in those two situations, I talked to him about what happened [in the game].

"One thing about our defense is we don't give up a whole lot of big passing plays … and we gave up some big plays in the passing game, which you all saw," Martindale added. "So I told him what happened on the coverages. That was it right before half."

The interaction with Daboll wasn't the only public spat Martindale had with someone on the Giants in November. Safety Xavier McKinney said that he and the other team captains were "not really being heard" by the coaching staff following New York's Week 9 loss to the Raiders.

"Yeah, it surprised me because it's the first time it's ever happened in my career that a player would make a statement like that," Martindale told reporters. "I think it was a case of the kid is just frustrated from losing. We spoke. We cleared it up. The example that he gave me of what he was talking about was an in-game adjustment.

"It really took a while for him to point out exactly what it was. But I think you grow from that, and I just told him that is something that hurts the locker room. It hurts the defensive room when you say something like that."

Jay Glazer gives an update on Aaron Rodgers' injury status and more

Glazer's other news and notes

Glazer reported that Aaron Rodgers is still trying to come back and play in 2023 even after the Jets' loss on Friday dropped them to 4-7 on the season. Glazer reported last week that Rodgers was aiming to start practicing by Dec. 2. 

In other coaching news, Glazer talked to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin about the team's decision to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Tomlin told Glazer: "We just weren't improving. It was time to make a change." The Steelers ranked 28th in total offense and scoring.

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