Covington was given permission to interview elsewhere.
New England Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington plans to interview with the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday for the same position, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The #Bengals plan to interview #Patriots defensive coordinator Demarcus Covington for their DC job on Wednesday, per source.
New England is just beginning its head coaching search and Covington has permission to interview elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/o6tmC904fZ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 7, 2025
After the firing of head coach Jerod Mayo, the rest of the Patriots coaches currently remain on staff. But with their future in question, Covington was given permission to interview elsewhere.
The Bengals got a first-hand look at Covington this season as his Patriots defense held Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his offense to just 10 points in a Week 1 upset win. For Covington’s defense, however, things went downhill after that in his first season in charge.
New England ended the year among the worst defenses in terms of DVOA after finishing in the top-10 last season. They also finished 22nd in the league in points against as consistent issues with fundamentals in the run game and a lack of turnovers and generated pressure plagued the unit throughout the year.
Before being promoted to defensive coordinator under Mayo, Covington spent time as both a linebackers and defensive line coach in his first seven seasons in the Patriots organization. The 35-year old’s most recent work along the defensive line (2020-23) led to him being a popular coach for coordinator interviews — taking two in 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers before being the top candidate last season in New England.
The Bengals fired their veteran defenisve coordinator Lou Anarumo on Monday after a disappointing season with the team as they ranked 25th in points allowed per game. Anarumo was with the organization for six years and led a highly ranked defense when the Bengals went to the Super Bowl in 2021.