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          New York Giants

          Palmer says contract dispute led to Giants departure

          • Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 16, 2011, 05:06 PM ET
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              Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
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          Chris Palmer says he never wanted to leave the NFL and that he could have remained with the New York Giants as the quarterbacks coach.

          But according to the Tennessean, the Titans’ new offensive coordinator said the Giants would not write in a clause allowing him to interview for potential coordinator positions in a new contract offer for Palmer.

          Palmer was Eli Manning’s position coach from 2007-2009. Palmer wanted another shot at being an offensive coordinator and he told the paper that the Giants had earlier denied a team from interviewing their quarterbacks coach for an offensive coordinator position.

          Teams often do this as the Jets recently reportedly blocked the Titans from interviewing their offensive line/assistant head coach Bill Callahan for the offensive coordinator vacancy and denied the Raiders permission to talk to secondary coach Dennis Thurman for the defensive coordinator position.

          When Palmer realized that he would not be allowed to seek an offensive coordinator position elsewhere if the opportunity arose, he said he told the Giants, “Okay, I’ll retire and pursue other avenues.” He went to the UFL to coach Hartford in 2010 before being hired in Tennessee this week.