Recently retired Patriots player hired as coach for old Super Bowl foe

 

Former Patriots offensive lineman James Ferentz. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) AP

By Nick O'Malley | nomalley@masslive.com

Updated: Mar. 26, 2024, 1:56 p.m.| Published: Mar. 26, 2024, 1:55 p.m.

Recently retired New England Patriots offensive lineman James Ferentz is joining the family business of coaching -- with the New York Giants.

On Tuesday, the Giants announced that they had hired Ferentz as an assistant offensive line coach. In New York, Ferentz will work under head coach Brian Daboll, who spent time in New England as an assistant coach.

James Ferentz was a longtime versatile backup for the Patriots, bouncing on and off the roster over the years. He played from 2017-2023 in New England before announcing his retirement back in February.

Ferentz is the son of longtime Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. He’s also the brother of Brian Ferentz, who was the offensive coordinator at Iowa until his departure this past season.

James Ferentz was undersized for an NFL offensive lineman, but was praised for his work as a mentor in the locker room. He played in 40 games during his time in New England, including 10 starts. His last NFL appearance came in 2023 when he started a game at left guard.

After playing for his father at Iowa, Ferentz landed in the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He started out as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans before winning a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. He earned a second ring in 2018 when the Patriots won Super Bowl LIII.