Giants DC Wink Martindale insists he wants to stay next season despite talk of rift with head coach Brian Daboll: 'I don't see eye to eye with my wife all the time'

New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale says he has no plans to leave the organization despite reported tension with head coach Brian Daboll. 

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported last week that Daboll and Martindale's relationship was in a 'bad place' amid the Giants' poor season, with friction between the pair said to have escalated to the point where they could mutually agree to part ways.

Yet following a subsequent victory over the New England Patriots, Daboll appeared to defuse the situation by handing his defensive coach the game ball in the locker room.

'The biggest argument that Wink and I have had is who has the last piece of pizza,' he then joked after the game.

Now Martindale has cooled any talk of a potential rift with Daboll, comparing their rumored tension to arguing with his wife. 

'We're fine,' he said. 'It's the same thing it was last year. It was just different because we were winning more games.

'I don't see eye to eye with my wife all the time. [Daboll's] the head coach, and it's my job to forward his plan. And that is what I'm going to do.'

When asked if he still wants to return for a third season with New York, Martindale simply replied: 'Yeah.'

Amid a disappointing season, the Giants (4-8) have enjoyed a slight resurgence of late after claiming back-to-back wins over the Patriots and the Washington Commanders.

Martindale's defense has earned plaudits at times in the campaign, but he remained coy over his chances of staying with the team next year.

'Ahead of their Monday night game against the Green Bay packers, he said on his future: 'We haven't even talked about it because, like I said, to me that is where it gets back to the players and being focused on winning this game.

'I hate the fact that it's a story because it takes away from how good Bobby Okereke is playing, how good Kayvon Thibodeaux is playing, how good Dexter Lawrence is playing. To me it's about the players.'

He then added: 'I still am [committed to the Giants]. The [President John] Maras and the [Executive Vice-President Steve] Tischs and this organization.

'I said this is not a steppingstone, it's a destination. And it still is.'