Losers of five straight, the Giants have not won a game since John Mara issued a vote of confidence in the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime. Mara offered support for the decision-makers to stay throughout this season and said he did not anticipate a change in 2025. Some around the league are skeptical of this pledge.
At 2-8, this Giants team is probably testing the owner’s patience. When asked about his future in New York, Schoen said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he does expect to be back next year. The third-year GM indicated he discusses plans with ownership regularly.
“We have a really good relationship with ownership,” Schoen said, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “… There’s confidence in the plan and where we’re going.”
[RELATED: Examining Giants’ Daniel Jones Situation]
Arriving after a stay as the Bills’ assistant GM, Schoen helped the Giants to a surprise playoff berth in 2022. Not much has gone right since, with the team’s front office boss taking heat due to his offseason decisions — calls magnified due to the Giants being the Hard Knocks franchise’s maiden-voyage offseason project. Both Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney are having All-Pro-caliber years. Both players hit the open market in March, as the Giants passed on a second Barkley franchise tag and did not opt to use the transition tag on McKinney.
Windfalls awaited both players, as Schoen poured resources into the offensive line (via middle-class contracts for Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor). team’s pass rush by trading for Brian Burns and extending him at a rate then second only to Nick Bosa among edge rushers. The ex-Panthers rusher’s Carolina play did not warrant such a commitment, one that now sits third at the position after Josh Hines-Allen signed a Jaguars re-up, but Burns had maximized his leverage.
Schoen has also run into scrutiny for his draft record. The team has seen 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal careen toward bust status, beginning the season as a healthy scratch after a two-season struggle at right tackle. The Giants have also not seen 2023 first-round cornerback Deonte Banks live up to expectations. Multiple warnings about a lack of effort preceded a benching against the Steelers. The Giants also stood pat at the trade deadline, not accepting any offers for contract-year cogs Darius Slayton or Azeez Ojulari — both Dave Gettleman draftees. Gettleman acquisitions — Barkley, McKinney and All-Pros Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas — have been the Giants’ top players during Schoen’s run thus far.
Daniel Jones remains the player still most closely associated with this regime. Schoen made Jones the first QB to see his option declined only to be subsequently re-signed by that team. Jones has not come close to living up to the four-year, $160MM extension — a deal that effectively led Barkley to Philadelphia — and now may be in danger of being benched so the Giants can ensure a $23MM injury guarantee for 2025 does not kick in.
When asked whether the injury guarantee would play into the club’s thinking on Jones, Schoen confirmed evaluations are ongoing but did not indicate a contract issue would drive a benching. Though, it should not exactly be expected a GM would confirm a contract matter is behind a demotion. That said, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan expects a Jones demotion to take place before the Giants’ Week 12 game.
If Schoen is to be the point man behind identifying a Jones successor next year, the Giants may need to show notable improvement down the stretch. Mara gave Gettleman four-plus seasons as GM, allowing him to hire two HCs despite no playoff berths occurring on his watch. That bodes well for Schoen, though Daboll’s future may be less secure. The 2022 Coach of the Year is the first Giants HC asked back for a third season since Tom Coughlin. Recent history points to Daboll being under more pressure than Schoen, despite the duo’s strong ties dating back to their Buffalo tenures.
Do we expect him to say he thinks he will be fired?
So that makes one vote for retention and a billion against?
“We have a really good relationship with ownership…There’s confidence in the plan and where we’re going.”
Translation: “People as delusion as me are usually heavily medicated and committed to mental institutions”.
“If Schoen is to be the point man behind identifying a Jones successor next year, the Giants may need to show notable improvement down the stretch.” Maybe that works for Shoen’s employment for another season, but the last thing the team needs is to move down the draft board. Not excited about the QB’s in the draft class, but he’d better hit on the best option.
This year’s draft class might save his job. Nabers is obviously great, Nubin and Dru Phillips have been solid, and Theo Johnson has had 21 catches for 238 yards, which is not bad for a 4th round TE in a horrible offense. And then there’s Tyrone Tracy, who looks like a stud.
There’s something to be said about cleaning house and firing both Schoen and Daboll if you’re going to draft a new QB and start over, but I think bringing them both back isn’t the worst idea out there.
Glass Half Full: Nabers looks hood with Jones
Glass Half Empty: Nabers looks great with a QB
I forgot all about McKinney. I know they couldn’t pay him, but such a durable solid player, and pro bowler. Everything has gone wrong with this regime.
What a shame I had high hopes especially after yr 1. Have to give them one more year problem is now we’ll have a rookie qb. I like mn but we should have drafted a qb.