When Freddie Kitchens joined the New York Giants as a tight ends coach, some expected more. Specifically, that the tight ends coaching job might be a stepping stone to a larger role in the organization. With the disappointing year one performance from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, those talks only intensified. It seems like Kitchens might be a preferred offensive coordinator in the eyes of Joe Judge, after all.
Kitchens hasn’t taken over as a coordinator, but he did move up in the coaching staff to become a senior offensive assistant rather than just the coach of the tight ends.
Some changes to the Giants offensive staff include Freddie Kitchens getting bumped to senior offensive assistant, per sources. Kitchens was the TEs coach. Derek Dooley, who attracted interest from other teams recently, handles TEs.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 13, 2021
It appears that fellow assistant Derek Dooley, most notable for being the former head coach of the University of Tennessee, will act as the tight end coach now that Kitchens is moving positions.
As the former head coach of the Browns, tight ends coach looked like a rather low position for Kitchens to settle for. It’s not surprising to see him move up in the ranks and take on a larger role. This also appears to be a move from Joe Judge to shape the offense further and make changes from last season, when the Giants had one of the worst offenses in the league.
While Jason Garrett isn’t getting replaced this season, the presence of Kitchens on the offensive staff might prompt some different offensive decisions that shake things up compared to the stale offense from last year.
All in all, it’s a promotion that’s not entirely unexpected and seems like a win for the Giants on the offensive side of the ball.