Wink Martindale will not return to the Giants as defensive coordinator.
But after Monday reports of his resignation from the team, the Giants still have had no official announcement, Art Stapleton of northjersey.com reports.
Martindale remains under contract for another year, and the sides likely are tussling over the money left on the deal. If Martindale resigns, he doesn’t get the money. If he’s fired, he does.
The Giants can block any defensive coordinator interviews for Martindale until he’s officially gone, so the team has the leverage for now.
Head coach Brian Daboll said Monday he expected Martindale to remain with the team.
So, the standoff continues with Martindale’s representation handling negotiations with the team, per Stapleton.
The Giants already have fired Martindale’s cronies. They parted ways with outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins, who arrived with Martindale ahead of the 2022 season. Drew Wilkins spent more than a decade with the Ravens before making the move, and his brother joined the Baltimore staff in 2015.
The Giants, too, will part ways with Martindale. The questions are: How and when?