The New York Giants’ chaotic season found a new low with the quiet dismissal of assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka confirmed that Cox was let go during the bye week but refused to explain why, calling it an internal matter.
Multiple reports, however, point to a bizarre “final straw”: Cox’s angry reaction to coaches being moved from the front to the back of the team plane on the flight home from a 33–15 loss to the New England Patriots, a change from the usual seating arrangement that reportedly did not sit well with the outspoken assistant.
Plane flare-up exposes staff tension
According to league insiders, frustration had been simmering among Giants assistants ever since Brian Daboll was fired in November, with Cox described as very close to the former head coach.
The plane incident, where assistant coaches were relocated to the rear of the charter, appears to have triggered a confrontation that the organization deemed unacceptable.
The #Giants fired assistant DL coach Bryan Cox during the bye week. The final straw was his reaction to the seating arrangement being changed on the flight home from the Patriots game, when assistant coaches were moved from the front of the plane to the back, per @DDuggan21. pic.twitter.com/gkVT7wKXMe
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 10, 2025
While Kafka declined to confirm the details, the timing of the move, along with Cox’s sudden disappearance from the team website, paints the picture of a staff already on edge and now down another Daboll-era voice.
Firing mirrors Giants’ on-field collapse
On the field, the New York Giants are 2–11, own one of the league’s worst run defenses, and have massively underachieved along the defensive line despite major investments in talent.
First-round rookie Abdul Carter has just 1.5 sacks, Dexter Lawrence’s Pro Bowl streak is in serious jeopardy, and New York is giving up an NFL-worst 5.8 yards per carry.
Mike Kafka again declined to share any details on what led to the firing of assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox during the bye week.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 10, 2025
Sources say the final straw was Cox’s reaction to the seating arrangement being changed on the flight home from the Patriots game. The…
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