The New England Patriots reportedly have their guy for the defensive coordinator vacancy, and they’re expected to make the news official next week.
According to senior NFL reporter Albert Breer, “all signs point” towards the Patriots hiring former defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington as their next defensive coordinator.
It’s a major promotion for Covington, who worked his way up after initially joining the Patriots organization as a coaching assistant in 2017. The Patriots have mostly worked with Bill Belichick delegating responsibilities with few official titles on the staff.
So Covington being in the saddle as an official defensive play-caller will bring some normalcy back to the coaching staff. He’s a fast-rising coach that has already worked extensively behind the scenes with Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo. That should enable their to be continuity with a defensive unit that overperformed last season, despite dealing with numerous injuries.
All signs point to the Patriots promoting DL coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator, per sources. Should be official early next week, New England has called other candidates to tell them they're out.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 27, 2024
The next major dominoes to fall for the Patriots are the vacant offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator roles on the roster. With the team ramping up interviews, a decision shouldn’t take much longer on those positions.
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