PHOENIX — Tom Coughlin is down on JPP.
Jason Pierre-Paul might be one of the Giants’ biggest stars, but Coughlin made it clear yesterday the young defensive end isn’t immune from public criticism by his coach.
Speaking at the NFL’s annual meetings, Coughlin revealed that Pierre-Paul reported to training camp overweight last summer and struggled much of the year to get rid of the extra pounds.
The surplus weight may have played a role in the back issues that hindered Pierre-Paul in 2012, not to mention a stunning dropoff in sack production that prompted Coughlin to do what few in the Giants’ organization have done publicly — express disappointment in the former first-round pick.
“He didn’t play as well as the year before,” Coughlin said glumly before shrugging his shoulders when asked why he thought Pierre-Paul plummeted from 16.5 sacks during the Giants’ 2011 Super Bowl run to 6.5 sacks last season.
Coughlin admitted Pierre-Paul’s weight was an issue much of the year. Coughlin wouldn’t specify how overweight Pierre-Paul was when he reported to camp, but the coach said it took well into the second half of the schedule to get him back to his ideal weight of 275 pounds.
“He was big when he came to camp,” Coughlin said.
Coughlin also doesn’t appear to be buying Pierre-Paul’s excuse that the extra weight was acceptable because it was more muscle than body fat.
“There’s not a lot of body fat [with Pierre-Paul], yes, but still …” Coughlin said, the frustration obvious in his voice.
Coughlin also revealed during an hour-long chat at the NFC coaches breakfast that he had tried to hire new Eagles coach Chip Kelly as a quality-control aide in 2007.
Kelly turned him down because he wanted to be a position coach, and six years later will coach against Coughlin at least twice a season in the NFC East.
Kelly is one of several coaches who will use the read option offense that came into such vogue last year with Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick, prompting what Coughlin admits is a lot of preparation and filmwork this offseason for himself and his coaches.
“We’re studying it, and we’re reaching out to all the college coaches that my assistants know,” Coughlin said. “With two teams in our division running that offense [the Eagles and Redskins], we’re going to have be ready for it — no matter what.”
bhubbuch@nypost.com