During a press conference that felt more like a political rally, Matt Rhule was introduced as the new head coach of the Panthers on Wednesday.
Rhule, who orated while making his opening remarks, was asked one question about the Giants -- the team the Rhule camp reportedly called before agreeing to take the Panthers head coaching job while giving them the opportunity to match the eventual deal he signed with Carolina.
So what exactly happened with the Giants after Rhule had an offer in-hand from the Panthers?
"I never had a chance to, I never talked to anyone but them (the Panthers). I probably don't want to say anything that, you know, that would come across in a bad way about anybody. I just want to talk about them."
After reportedly getting the chance to match the offer from the Panthers, the Giants instead hired Joe Judge, who they had been in talks with since his interview on Monday.
"My agent talks to everybody," Rhule said. "I'm sure he had lots of conversations. He's representing a lot of guys probably also too that are in all these job mixes. For me, when they offered the job -- the biggest thing I'll say is when they offered a chance to be here for seven years, they spoke to me about the belief that we were gonna do this together, that we were gonna do it the right way. There was no doubt. And there was really no doubt the night before for my family. And there was really no doubt for me after having that synergy that we were gonna be here. My agent, I know he talks to different people.But for me, the only person I talked to was Mr. Tepper."
Rhule was in a tough spot Wednesday. He was answering a question about why he reportedly gave another team a chance to match a deal he wound up signing with a team whose press conference he was in the middle of being introduced at.
But it sure seems like the Giants got the chance to match, though Rhule wasn't the one who technically made the call.