Patriots News: Former Giants HC Joe Judge Agrees to Contract as Offensive Assistant

Former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge reached an agreement to rejoin the New England Patriots' coaching staff as an offensive assistant on Tuesday. 

Judge was fired by the Giants in January. He compiled a 10-23 record across two seasons.

The 40-year-old Philadelphia native released a statement to Art Stapleton of The Record after his dismissal, saying he was "truly grateful" for the opportunity.

"To the current Giants players, thank you most of all," Judge said. "When I became the head coach, I said that we would ask you to come in and give everything you had every day. And you did. I am so proud of you, grateful for you, and I believe in you."

He spent most of his previous tenure with the Patriots as their special teams coordinator (2015-19). He started as a special teams assistant and added the role of wide receivers coach in his final season before leaving for New York.

His coaching career began at Mississippi State, his alma mater, and also included stops at Birmingham-Southern and Alabama across seven years at the collegiate level.

As an offensive assistant, Judge would serve under a new Patriots offensive coordinator. Josh McDaniels vacated the role to take over as head coach of Las Vegas Raiders.

Former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien has been mostly frequently linked to that opening. He previously served as the Pats' offensive coordinator in 2011.

O'Brien currently leads the Alabama offense and he has a year left in his contract with the Crimson Tide. In turn, MMQB's Albert Breer reported his return is likely dependent on Nick Saban's willingness to release him from that deal if longtime friend Bill Belichick "pushes for that."

New England ranked 15th in total offense (353.4 yards per game) and sixth in scoring offense (27.2 point per game) in 2021 with rookie quarterback Mac Jones leading the unit.

Much of the Pats' offseason focus will likely be trying to acquire more playmaking talent around Jones in the passing game via free agency, the draft and trades.