Giants retain and promote Charlie Bullen on defensive staff despite strong interest from other teams

Despite moving on from the overwhelming majority of the previous coaching staff, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh is retaining one crucial holdover from the previous regime.

Outside linebacker coach Charlie Bullen, who spent the final seven weeks of the 2025 season as the interim defensive coordinator, is being retained on Harbaugh’s staff, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

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Giants Retain and Promote Charlie Bullen on Defensive Staff

Bullen has officially received a contract extension and a promotion to defensive run game coordinator, Garafolo reports. Bullen pulled out of the remaining defensive coordinator searches and received a contract extension from the Giants.

There had been interest from several teams around the NFL in Bullen for vacant defensive coordinator positions. He drew heavy interest from teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns.

However, Bullen opted to withdraw his name from consideration to remain in East Rutherford. This maneuver ensures that Harbaugh’s 2026 defensive staff retains its most effective in-house mind, bridging the gap between the old regime’s talent and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s new vision.

Bullen Earned Respect as Interim DC

Bullen’s promotion is a direct result of the statistical turnaround he engineered after taking over for Shane Bowen in Week 13. Before Bullen took the reins, the Giants’ run defense was a turnstile, allowing an abysmal 157.1 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry.

Under Bullen’s guidance, those numbers lowered to 116.8 yards per game and a much more respectable 4.0 yards per carry over the final stretch of the season.

While the Giants still finished as the league’s 31st-ranked run defense overall, the six-week sample size under Bullen proved he has the schematic answers to stabilize a front seven that was previously non-competitive.

Additionally, and importantly, Bullen was highly respected by the players in the locker room. Several Giants players, including Pro Bowl pass-rusher Brian Burns, advocated for Bullen to Harbaugh as he began tearing down and rebuilding the coaching staff.

Developing the Giants’ Pass Rush and Front Seven

Under his tutelage, Brian Burns posted a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2025, while 2025 first-round pick Abdul Carter emerged as a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist. Carter’s explosion—recording at least a half-sack in each of his final five games—was largely credited to Bullen’s creative defensive tweaks that he made after becoming the interim DC, moving the rookie around the formation to exploit mismatches after he was left in a stagnant role under Bowen.

By retaining Bullen alongside Dennard Wilson, the Giants ensure their elite pass-rushing trio of Burns, Carter, and Dexter Lawrence maintains a semblance of continuity.

Bullen’s new role as run game coordinator creates a powerful brain trust with Dennard Wilson, whose background is rooted in elite secondary play. While Wilson focuses on the coverages that helped Baltimore lead the league in points allowed, Bullen will be tasked with the granular details of the front-seven fits.

This division of labor allows the Giants to address their 2,470-yard rushing disaster from last season without sacrificing the aggressive pass-defense identity Harbaugh wants to instill. Bullen’s presence ensures the defensive front is just as fundamentally sound as the back end.