Bret Bielema Leaves Giants for Illinois; Giants Make Six Roster Moves

Bret Bielema – © USA TODAY Sports

BRET BIELEMA LEAVES GIANTS FOR ILLINOIS…
New York Giants Outside Linebackers Coach Brett Bielema has left the coaching staff to accept a position as head coach of the University of Illinois. Inside Linebackers Coach Kevin Sherrer will assume Bielema’s responsibilities and will be assisted by defensive assistant Jody Wright.

“We always want to be supportive of our coaches and players in terms of advancing their careers,” said Head Coach Joe Joe Judge. “We appreciate everything Bret did for this organization and our coaching staff. He did he a great job with our outside linebackers and made a significant impact on our overall defensive effort. Bret is a great teacher, and he brings great perspective on how he sees the game. We wish him all the best at the University of Illinois. The Illini program is in great hands.”

NEW YORK GIANTS MAKE SIX ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have made the following six roster moves:

• Safety Montre Hartage was waived.
• Safety Adrian Colbert was activated from Injured Reserve.
• Quarterback Joe Webb was signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.
• Quarterback Clayton Thorson was activated from the Practice Squad as a COVID-19 (temporary) replacement for cornerback James Bradberry.
• Cornerbacks Jarren Williams and Quincy Wilson were activated from the Practice Squad as standard (temporary) elevations.

Hartage has alternated between the Giants’ Practice Squad and the 53-man roster a couple of times this year. Hartage originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants claimed Hartage off of waivers from the Dolphins in April 2020.

The Giants placed Colbert on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury in early November 2020. Colbert was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Colbert has spent time with the 49ers (2017-2019), Seattle Seahawks (2019), Miami Dolphins (2019), and Kansas City Chiefs (2020). The Giants claimed Colbert off of waivers from the Chiefs in early September 2020. He has played in 30 regular-season games with 19 starts, accruing 74 tackles and eight pass defenses.

Webb was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He has spent time with the Vikings (2010-2013), Carolina Panthers (2014-2016), Buffalo Bills (2017), Houston Texans (2018-2019), and Detroit Lions (2020). Webb has played in 102 regular-season games with four starts, completing 90-of-159 passes (56.6 percent) for 888 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also has caught 10 passes in his career and returned 18 kickoffs.

The Giants signed Thorson to the Practice Squad in late September 2020. Thorson was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles cut him in August 2019 and he was then signed to the Practice Squad of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys cut him in early September 2020.

The Giants signed Williams in early August 2020 after he was waived by the Arizona Cardinals and signed him to the Practice Squad in early September 2020. Williams was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Giants signed Wilson to the Practice Squad in November 2020. Wilson was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He has spent time with Colts (2017-2019) and New York Jets (2020). Wilson has played in 32 regular-season games with 11 starts, accruing 59 tackles, 8 pass defenses, and 2 interceptions.

SECOND GIANTS COACH TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19…
The New York Giants have announced that offensive assistant Stephen Brown has tested positive for COVID-19. Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett tested positive earlier this week and will miss Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.