Arizona Cardinals to Interview New England Patriots DL Coach for DC

The Arizona Cardinals will look to the New England Patriots for an answer to their defensive coordinator vacancy. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team will interview Patriots defensive line coach Demarcus Covington.

#Patriots DL coach DeMarcus Covington was requested by the #AZCardinals for their defensive coordinator position under Jonathan Gannon, source said. Just 33, Covington is a rising young coach who developed a relationship with new GM Monti Ossenfort while together in New England.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 17, 2023

Covington joined the Patriots as a coaching assistant in 2017 and worked his way up to outside linebackers coach in 2019. He earned the role of defensive line coach in 2020.

At only 33 years old, Covington is an extremely young coach and is clearly on the rise. This past season, the Patriots allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards in the league and notched 54 sacks, their most in the Bill Belichick era. Covington has never coached at the professional level outside of New England, so he isn't the beneficiary of typical NFL cronyism, either.

The Patriots appear to have already tabbed linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as their defensive coordinator in waiting, so it may make sense for Covington to look elsewhere. He appears to have a bright future.