Joe Judge’s Comments on Player Parenthood Spark Backlash Amid Chambliss Eligibility Hearing
Joe Judge has found himself back in the spotlight this week-and not for his work on the field.
The former New York Giants head coach, now a key figure on Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss staff, testified during an injunction hearing for Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss is seeking an additional year of eligibility after the NCAA denied his waiver request, and Judge was called as part of the effort to support the quarterback’s case. But it wasn’t the eligibility battle that grabbed headlines-it was Judge’s unexpected comments about how he advises players and their families when a baby is due during the season.
“This is always a tough conversation to have. It’s not going to be a popular opinion, but this is the truth,” Judge said during the hearing. “We would have to educate significant others who may have been pregnant during the season or are gonna have a baby during the season, and you’d have to educate them on - you have this baby in the middle of the season, that father has to play good football.”
Judge continued, explaining that during the season, a player’s performance has to take priority. “It’s a day-by-day production business,” he said.
“He has to be ready to perform and go out there and play. And when I say that, (what I mean) is you need to let him sleep.
He needs to be in another room, detached. You have to explain to the mother, like, ‘Hey, listen, he ain’t waking up for midnight feedings.
After the season, he’s full metal jacket. You can do whatever you want with him.
He can change every diaper, but, in season, he’s gotta have a different priority.’”
The reaction across the football world was swift-and not exactly supportive.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell took to social media, referencing Judge’s rocky tenure with the Giants and sarcastically questioning the former coach’s focus, tweeting, “Joe Judge spent an entire season not being able to get his headsets working in New York if we want to worry about focus.”
NFL analyst Warren Sharp chimed in with a visual jab, posting a quote from Judge’s testimony alongside a photo montage of some of the Giants’ low points under his leadership. The implication was clear: Judge’s own track record didn’t exactly scream “model of focus and performance.”
CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones added his voice to the chorus, writing, “No clue how we got here but I cannot believe this is something he felt compelled to say, out loud, on the record.”
It’s a strange detour for a coach who has been quietly rebuilding his career in the college ranks. After being dismissed by the Giants following a 10-23 run that included some highly scrutinized decisions on and off the field, Judge returned to familiar ground in New England. There, under Bill Belichick, he served as an offensive assistant and later assistant head coach, contributing to Mac Jones’ early development.
That stint helped reset his trajectory, eventually leading him to Oxford, Mississippi, where he joined Lane Kiffin’s staff in 2024. Since then, Judge has played a significant role in the rise of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who emerged as one of the SEC’s breakout stars this past season.
Judge’s on-field work at Ole Miss has been largely well-received. But his comments this week have sparked a broader conversation about the expectations placed on athletes who become parents-and the tone coaches use when addressing those challenges.
In a sport where every snap is scrutinized and every edge matters, it’s not unusual for coaches to preach discipline, sacrifice, and focus. But Judge’s remarks crossed into deeply personal territory, drawing criticism for what many saw as an outdated and insensitive approach to family dynamics in modern sports.
Whether his comments have any bearing on Chambliss’ eligibility case remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Joe Judge may have been trying to speak on behalf of player performance, but the message landed in a way that’s raised far more questions than answers.