Dec. 29: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown that Gettleman is indeed likely to be back with the Giants in 2020 (h/t Giants Daily on Twitter).
Dec. 19: While it seems as though the Giants are increasingly likely to part with head coach Pat Shurmur this offseason, the status of GM Dave Gettleman is a bit murkier. Many have speculated that Gettleman, like Shumur, is on the hot seat, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv does not necessarily believe that’s the case.
One team source has told Vacchiano that there has been no indication at all that a GM change is forthcoming, and while that may not mean much in and of itself, everyone seems to agree that ownership does not want to make such a change. Co-owner John Mara has spoken in the past about the difficulties that come with a GM ouster, including massive internal overhaul and potential changing of philosophies. Because of that reality, the Giants have historically been patient with their GMs; as Vacchiano notes, from 1979 through 2017, the Giants had three general managers with an average tenure of 13 seasons.
Ownership understands that it can take years for a GM to build an organization in his image, and while a head coach cannot be expected to spin gold out of a roster of hay, it’s much easier to evaluate a coach over the short-term because one can at least see his approach, the discipline he instills in his team, and his game management. Vacchiano concedes that Gettleman has made some head-scratching moves, but he also believes that the former Panthers GM has not done anything to hamstring the Giants over the long-term.
Vacchiano writes, “[Gettleman] took over a team with salary cap issues, weighed down with bloated contracts given to overrated players, an aging quarterback, a crumbling offensive line, a locker room that had just revolted on its coach and showed an alarming lack of character and accountability in many corners, and was finishing off a 3-13 season — its fourth losing season in five years. And he not only found a franchise quarterback, he paired him with one of the most promising running backs to hit the NFL in years, and revamped the roster with a small army of first- and second-year players — 10 of which were in the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon.”
It’s unclear whether the Giants share Vacchiano’s views, but given the team’s track record, it would not be surprising to see Gettleman back with Big Blue in 2020. But considering Gettleman was in charge of the Shurmur hire, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the dynamics of the next head coaching search if Gettleman stays but Shurmur goes.
