There’s a chance that Don “Wink” Martindale could be back in the NFL for the 2025 season.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports , the Atlanta Falcons are interviewing Martindale for their vacant defensive coordinator position.
The Falcons are interviewing Michigan DC and longtime NFL coach Wink Martindale for their vacant defensive coordinator position, sources tell @NFLonCBS .
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 14, 2025
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Martindale was with Michigan during the 2024 season and did a great job with its defense, holding Ohio State to 10 points in the team’s final regular season game. He’s also the highest-paid coordinator in college football.
NFL Network Tom Pelissero added to Jones’s report, saying that Martindale is set to interview with the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday and could interview with the Bengals at a later date since they also have interest in him.
Longtime NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is scheduled to interview with the #Falcons today and the #Colts on Wednesday, per sources.
The #Bengals also could have interest in Martindale, who is college football’s highest-paid coordinator at Michigan. One to watch. pic.twitter.com/iV6KsWxXn0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2025
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Before taking the DC job at Michigan, Martindale was the DC for the New York Giants from 2022-23. Before that, he held the same position with the Baltimore Ravens from 2018-21.
He’s also worked for the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos in the NFL.
Martindale has always had solid defenses during his tenure with NFL teams and other teams are realizing that. They want to see what he could offer since he’s been around the game for so long.
The Falcons fired former DC Jimmy Lake after just one season since their defense struggled while the Bengals fired Lou Anarumo after his unit was one of the worst in the league during the regular season. Anarumo had been the Bengals’ DC since 2019 before he was let go.
The Colts fired Gus Bradley after three seasons when their regular season ended in early January. The Colts had high expectations for this year but fell short when they missed the playoffs again.
We’ll see if any of these three teams poach Martindale from Michigan.
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