Newly Retired Patriot Joins NFL Coaching Staff

The New England Patriots may have had a quiet free agency so far but they still had plenty of departures. One of the longest-tenured members of the team, James Ferentz, retired earlier in the offseason after six seasons with the Patriots.

Now, he is joining the New York Giants as an assistant offensive line coach. He will be working under new o-line coach Carmen Bricillo in Brian Daboll's staff, according to Mike Garafolo. Daboll had previously worked under Bill Belichick in Foxborough in two different stints for a total of eleven seasons.

Newly Retired Patriot Joins Brian Daboll's Coaching Staff

A member of the offensive line for the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos in his rookie year in 2015, Ferentz showed some promise early in his NFL career. Since then, he never became a full-time starter in the league but managed to carve himself a role as a versatile offensive lineman and a veteran leader.

Ferentz should not find the transition to coaching too difficult. He was already a de facto coach last season, only playing in four snaps all year and being one of the oldest members of a young Patriots team at age 34.

Moreover, Ferentz's father Kirk has been the head coach at Iowa since 1999, while his brother Brian has served on the Hawkeyes' staff after a brief stint on the Patriots' sidelines.

There is a decent chance James, similarly to his brother, will either end up with the Patriots or with his father in Iowa at some point in his coaching career.

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