Report: Joe Judge to take assistant head coach role with Patriots under Bill Belichick
BOSTON -- After last year's failed attempt at installing Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to run the Patriots' offense, changes were needed for the 2023 season. That came by way of Patricia seemingly losing his employment in New England, while Judge remained part of Bill Belichick's staff in a yet-to-be-determined capacity.
Some clarity on Judge's situation came Thursday, when Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that Judge will be in an assistant head coach's role for the Patriots next season.
Breer said that Judge will have a personnel aspect to his job, similar to what Patricia did for Belichick upon returning to the organization in 2021, while he'll also assist in coaching the Patriots' special teams units, which notably struggled last season.
"Judge's job will be more in coaching special teams, being a liaison between coaching and scouting, etc." Breer said.
The 41-year-old Judge originally joined the Patriots staff in 2012, after spending three seasons as a special teams assistant at Alabama. He led New England's special teams from 2015-19, adding the role of wide receivers coach in 2019, before leaving to become the New York Giants' head coach in 2020. That stint lasted just two seasons, during which the Giants went 10-23, before he returned to the Patriots last year as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.
Judge's work with special teams in New England earned tremendous praise, enough for him to get that Giants head coaching position in 2020. A Boston Herald report indicated that other coaches had to correct the coaching points from both Judge and Patricia at times last season, while an NFLPA survey of Giants players observed a sentiment from New York's players that "things can improve if the club prioritizes the well-being of players."
Judge's contract with New York ran through the 2024 season, meaning the Giants will be paying the majority of Judge's salary in 2023 and 2024, if Judge remains in New England for that season as well.
