Wink Martindale will very likely return to the New York Giants as the team's defensive coordinator in 2023, after he was informed on Friday that he was no longer in the running for the vacant Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job.

Although Martindale had been considered a finalist for the role, he was told that that was no longer the case on Friday.

“When I came here as a Giant, it wasn’t a stepping stone for me. It was a destination,” Martindale said in January. “I love it here in New York. I love the city. I think it’s the greatest city in the world, I think it’s the greatest fans in the world and the ownership — the Maras and Tischs — have been great to my family.”

Martindale led the Giants defense to the 17th NFL rank in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed in his first year with the franchise, after spending the last decade as the Baltimore Ravens' linebackers coach and defensive coordinator.

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Fellow Giants coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was also told he was out of the running for the Colts job. Kafka remains a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals vacant head coaching spot, but the team said it won't make any decisions until after Super Bowl LVII.

Colts owner Jim Irsay said it would be “days, not hours” before the team found a new head coach, and the interview process has reportedly been extremely intense; the Colts have spoken to more than a dozen people for the job,

Although Giants' Wink Martindale has been vocal that he one day wants to be a head coach, it won't be in Indianapolis in 2023.