9 top candidates to replace Wink Martindale as Giants defensive coordinator

The players in the New York Giants locker room seemed to love Wink Martindale. Opponents routinely complained about how difficult it was to prepare to play against his scheme. Fans loved his aggressive, blitzing style and the way he got production out of an undermanned roster.

He won't be easy to replace.

But the Giants will have to replace him now that the 60-year-old Martindale has decided to resign from his job with the team, according to a source. He had not officially done so as of Monday morning, the source said, but the team knows it's coming. He's under contract for a year, but "He's not staying," the source insisted. "It's over."

The reason for the split was increasing tension between Martindale and Giants head coach Brian Daboll, which FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer first revealed in December. It only got worse late in the season, the source said, making it nearly impossible the two could continue working together for another year.

Not everyone in the Giants' front office is thrilled with the split. There was some internal hope the two could work things out, one team source said. They liked how hard the defense played, the source added, even though it was statistically the fourth-worst in the NFL this year.

But the split is inevitable, which means the search for Martindale's replacement will soon be on. So here's a look at some of the candidates Daboll might consider. And considering the head coach might be on the hot seat himself next season, who he picks to be his defensive coordinator will be one of the most crucial decisions he ever makes:

Antonio Pierce: If the Las Vegas Raiders don't give their interim head coach the permanent job, the former Giants linebacker could vault to the top of this list. He is revered inside the organization, known as one of the best leaders and smartest players they've had in the last 20-plus years. And while he's never been a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he was for two years at Arizona State (2020-21). He also proved his ability to lead by going 5-4 with the Raiders down the stretch, keeping them on the fringe of the wild-card chase. The Giants got a first-hand look at what he can do when the Raiders beat them 30-6 on Nov. 5 in his head-coaching debut.

Leslie Frazier: He was a finalist for the Giants' head coaching job when Daboll was hired, back when he was the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. He obviously worked with Daboll in Buffalo and with Joe Schoen, then the assistant general manager of the Bills. He is one of the most respected defensive minds in the game and the Bills defense was a top-five unit in each of his final three seasons. He spent last year out of football and the 64-year-old would prefer to be a head coach. But turning around the Giants' D could earn him that opportunity.

Jerome Henderson: The Giants players are not going to be happy that Martindale is gone. The best way to smooth things over might be to promote their popular defensive backs coach. The 54-year-old was regarded by Martindale as the best defensive backs coach in the NFL and the Giants seem to agree. He was a defensive passing game coordinator in Atlanta from 2016-19. He'd also probably keep the good parts of Martindale's blitz-heavy scheme.

Matt Patricia: He's not earning rave reviews for his work calling the defensive plays in Philadelphia the last few weeks, but he's also hamstrung by a flawed and injury-riddled defense and the fact that he's running someone else's scheme. More importantly, Philly's senior defensive assistant has New England ties to Daboll from when the two spent four years together with the Patriots (2013-16 when Daboll coached tight ends and Patricia was the defensive coordinator). He'll probably be available unless the Eagles decide to give him a full year to run their defense his way.

Sean Desai: Given what's happened to the Eagles defense this season, their current defensive coordinator wouldn't be a popular choice in New York and might be hard to sell to both the players and the fanbase. But the 40-year-old was considered to be a rising star in the league heading into this season, and he also was a finalist for the Giants defensive coordinator job two years ago. He's expected to be let go by the Eagles after their playoff run is over, after having his play-calling duties taken away in December. It's a good bet Daboll will at least consider him again.

Patrick Graham: Before Martindale was hired by the Giants, Daboll tried to keep Graham on board. He was loved by his players and in the organization during his two years as defensive coordinator under Joe Judge. But he left to become the Raiders defensive coordinator instead. The 44-year-old will be available again if the Raiders don't keep their current staff in place. Graham once called being the Giants defensive coordinator his "dream job" and even turned down head coaching interviews to stay there. Still, a reunion might be a longshot. Some bridges were burned with the organization when he left.

Kris Richard: Once a rising star in the league, the 44-year-old spent last year out of football after one season as the co-defensive coordinator in New Orleans. He made a good impression on some holdovers in the Giants' front office from when he interviewed for their head coaching job back in 2020. There are no obvious ties to Daboll, but it's likely someone will suggest that he give Richard a look.

Eric Washington: Don't underestimate the strength of the ties between Schoen and Daboll and the Buffalo Bills. If they lean on those, Frazier would be their top choice, but if he doesn't want to be a defensive coordinator again, they could turn to the Bills' 54-year-old assistant head coach/defensive line coach. He was the defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2018-19, but Ron Rivera stripped him of play-calling duties late in his first season.

Andre Patterson: Another popular internal choice, the 63-year-old has earned rave reviews for the work he's done with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and the defensive linemen seem to love him. He was the co-defensive coordinator in Minnesota for two seasons before Daboll brought him to New York. If the Giants stay in-house, it seems unlikely he'd get the job over Henderson, but he's deserving of a chance.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.