Joe Judge might turn out to be a great offensive coach for the Patriots. But, right now, fans would be justified in feeling nervous about the idea of Judge having influence on that side of the ball.
Judge, who was fired as head coach of the New York Giants, reportedly will have a big role on New England's offensive coaching staff, though his exact role remains unclear. Prior to joining the Giants in 2020, Judge worked for the Patriots from 2012 through 2019, largely coaching special teams. However, he split time as the wide receivers coach in 2019.
That year, things apparently didn't go well between Judge and some of New England's wideouts.
"During that season, I was told that there were wide receivers who were unhappy with the coaching they were getting," NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran said during the first episode of Andrew Callahan's "Patriots Interference" podcast. "To the point where they felt as if Joe Judge didn't know more than them. And there were blowups at practice.
"Or, at least one that I know of in which a receiver said, 'You don't know what you're talking about.' Not what you're looking for."
The 2019 campaign was a rather unproductive one for the Patriots' passing game. Outside of Julian Edelman, no New England wideout topped Phillip Dorsett's marks of 29 receptions, 397 yards and five touchdowns. Of course, Judge alone can't be blamed for that, as that receiving corps lacked talent, contributing to Tom Brady feeling "miserable" throughout the season.
The Patriots offensive coaching staff has been a subject of intense debate throughout the offseason, with the Dan Orlovsky's of the world hitting the panic button. And while Bill Belichick certainly has earned the benefit of the doubt, fans no doubt will be looking for any sign that Judge isn't getting the job done.
