When New York native Matt Rhule reportedly skipped a head-coaching interview with the New York Giants to take a job with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, it wasn't necessarily because Rhule had no interest in coming to the Big Apple.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 44-year-old candidate called the Giants before signing a contract with Carolina to give New York an opportunity to match the Panthers' offer and "lure him to get on a plane" for their own interview. The Giants, however, declined to do so and opted to hire New England Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge, another area native, instead.
Only time will tell whether the Giants made the right decision to pass on Rhule's offer. Countless fans and media, for one, long expected Rhule and Big Blue to be an inevitable match, with the former Baylor head coach growing up in New York City and having the potential opportunity to work with a highly drafted young quarterback in Daniel Jones. One look at what the Panthers are paying Rhule -- and for how long -- might prompt a different opinion, however.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported later Tuesday morning that Rhule's deal with Carolina is for seven years and $60 million, with incentives that could boost it to $70 million. Seven years is an almost-unprecedented commitment, not to mention to a coach with only one year of NFL experience on his resume, and the Giants were not prepared to pay that much or for that long, according to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.
