The Giants have requested permission to interview Patriots special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Judge for their vacant head coaching job, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Judge is the third new candidate to emerge on Tuesday, joining former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and Ravens DC Don Martindale.
Judge, McCarthy, and Martindale join Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, and Cowboys DB coach Kris Richard as known candidates for the position.
The 38-year-old Judge has been with the Patriots since 2012. He began his tenure there as a special teams assistant before moving up to special teams coordinator in 2015. Prior to this season, he also assumed the wide receiver coach responsibilities.
Before joining the Patriots, Judge held coaching positions at Mississippi State (2005-2007), Birmingham-Southern (2008), and Alabama (2009-11).
While at Alabama, Judge worked under Nick Saban.
Though the Giants are casting a wide net in their search, Rhule is the early favorite for the position and will have "strong interest" in it, according to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. However, Rhule said Tuesday that his "plan" is to return to Baylor.
It was reported earlier Tuesday that Rhule had turned down the opportunity to interview with the Browns for their vacant head coaching position.
One source told Vacchiano that the idea that Rhule wouldn't want to work with Giants GM Dave Gettleman, who was retained by the franchise on Monday, is "ridiculous."