OFFICIAL: Joe Judge Returns to New England Patriots After Two Brutal Seasons With New York Giants

Joe Judge couldn’t make it past Bill Belichick. Ever since leaving the Patriots in 2019, Joe spent two years with the New York Giants as a head coach. Though after failing to bring results to the table, the franchise relieved him of his duties. Joe rejoined the New England Patriots as an offensive assistant alongside Belichick. 

The news was first broken by NFL reporter Albert Breer about the expected move. However, the Patriots announced the move to be official just hours later. Joe Judge spent eight seasons with the Patriots (2012-2019) before moving on as the head coach of the Giants in 2020. 

He worked mostly as the special teams coordinator, including one year as the wide receiver coach in 2019. Those eight seasons with the Patriots proved very successful for Judge. During that period, he helped the team win three Super Bowls. However, as the head coach of the Giants, he went 6-10 in his first season while 4-13 in his last. 

Joe Judge back with Bill Belichick being relieved of his HC duties at Giants

While getting signed with the Giants, Judge signed a five-year, fully guaranteed contract, valued at $5 million per year. Now that the franchise has fired him, he still has a three-year contract remaining with the Giants, totaling a buyout of $15 million over that course of time. 

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Hence, Judge will work for free with the Patriots. New England will deduct his owed sum from the Giants contract for the next three seasons. This was the third consecutive time the Giants have fired a coach after just a two-season spell. The franchise has already hired Brian Daboll as their next head coach, who is again a disciple of Bill Belichick. 

It’s the great mentorship of Bill Belichick that made the 40-year-old return to Foxborough. Belichick picked up Judge as his special teams assistant in 2012, from the Alabama Crimson Tide. And that is how Joe started his NFL journey. 

Hoping to get his career back on track, joining hands with Belichick would help the young coach. However, he also got the chance to serve the Raiders as the special teams coordinator after Josh McDaniels (former offensive coordinator of Patriots) showed interest in hiring him. But clearly, being close to Belichick was the best possible choice he could have made. 

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