The New York Giants fans got some good news on Friday morning with the report that the team is retaining outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network is reporting that Bullen has pulled out of the defensive coordinator searches for which he was a candidate and will instead remain on John Harbaugh’s staff — with the additional title of “Run Game Coordinator”.
Garafolo adds that Bullen will also receive a contract extension to stay with the Giants.
Bullen, 41, was an undeniable
bright spot on the Giants’ defensive staff made a name for himself last year. First he helped Brian Burns have a DPOY caliber season and set a career high in sacks, and then raised the level the entire defense as interim defensive coordinator after Shane Bowen was fired.
Not only did Bullen help to tap Abdul Carter’s incredible upside over the final quarter of the season, but his commitment to an attention to detail and practicing fundamentals allowed the entire defense to play better. The Giants’ squad was playing noticeably faster and more technically sound football after a couple weeks under Bullen, enough so that it raised questions of how good the defense could have been with him as defensive coordinator from the beginning.
That, in turn, led to Bullen getting multiple requests to interview for open defensive coordinator positions, most notably with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Giants may not have Bullen for long, and he’s expected to once again be a popular candidate next coaching cycle, but they’ll at least have him for 2026.
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