The New York Giants parted ways with assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox over the bye week, a move that wasn’t announced but discovered and reported on by X user Doug Analytics.
While interim head coach Mike Kafka refused to share any details that led up to the firing, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan revealed that the “final straw” was Cox’s reactions to seating arrangements on the flight home from Foxborough after the Giants’ Week 13 loss to the New England Patriots.
Apparently, New York’s assistant coaches were used to sitting at the front of the plane, but for whatever reason, they were moved to the back, leading to a negative reaction from Cox.
Dan Duggan Reveals Reason Bryan Cox Was Let Go
Duggan, one of the most respected reporters on the New York Giants beat, revealed his sourced reporting on Wednesday.
“Sources say the final straw was Cox’s reaction to the seating arrangement being changed on the flight home from the Patriots game. The assistant coaches typically sit near the front of the plane, but they were moved to the back on that flight,” Duggan wrote in a post on X.
“Why that was a big deal and what exactly transpired from there to lead to Cox’s firing is unclear. But there has obviously been a lot of unrest with the coaching staff this season and Cox is very close with Brian Daboll, so sources weren’t surprised that things ended acrimoniously.”
Cox, a holdover from former head coach Brian Daboll’s hand-picked staff, may have had more issues than just their seating situation on the flight.
Perhaps the former NFL linebacker didn’t see eye to eye with Kafka and interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen, leading to a strained relationship.
The switch-up in seating arrangement may have just been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Bryan Cox’s Job Wasn’t Safe Anyway
Even without the plane mishap, the New York Giants are likely to have a brand new coaching staff in 2026, regardless of how they finish this year.
New York’s defense has been one of the league’s worst, despite having one of the more talented defensive fronts in the NFL.
Overall, they have the second-worst defense in terms of yards per game, giving up 385.8 yards to their opponents on a weekly basis.
The run defense is just as bad, allowing opposing teams to run for 155.5 yards per game, second-worst to only the Cincinnati Bengals.
With Cox serving as an assistant defensive line coach, some of that blame certainly fell on him, so even if he had made it through to the end of the season, it was a long shot that he would return in 2026.
Cox was an NFL linebacker for 12 seasons and an assistant coach for 17, so it’s likely he lands on his feet elsewhere. Maybe Daboll brings him along to his next coaching gig.
Otherwise, he could give it another go in the broadcasting game, having spent some time as a radio host and TV analyst for Fox Sports.
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