Brian Daboll

Daniel Jones’ QB3 Status Uncertain; Latest On Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll

November 20th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

For QB bubble-wrap scenarios, Daniel Jones‘ now looks closer to where Washington once went with Robert Griffin III compared to the two Jarrett Stidham AFC West instances over the past two seasons. It is conceivable Jones does not dress again as a Giant.

Today, the Giants went through practice with the six-year starter as the No. 4 quarterback. Recent practice squad addition Tim Boyle worked ahead of Jones, and Brian Daboll said (via the33rdTeam.com’s Ari Meirov) he is not certain which of the two will be the emergency No. 3 option in Week 12.

Drew Lock handled the Giants’ scout-team work Wednesday, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy adds. No. 3 QBs often operate in that role during practices, but the Giants will not ask Jones to do so. This further points to the team doing as much as it can to ensure the veteran starter — who suffered an ACL tear in 2023 and missed two stretches due to neck issues during his career — stays healthy, as a $23MM injury guarantee would come into play if an injury prevented Jones from passing a physical by the start of the 2025 league year. Otherwise, the Giants can move on for minimal — all things considered — dead money.

Yes, Jones received a staggering six seasons — give or take some injury absences and Eli Manning starting the first two games of the 2019 season — of run as the Giants’ starter and is in Year 2 of a four-year, $160MM contract, but this demotion is not going over too well in the team’s locker room. Dexter Lawrence called Jones the best quarterback on the team, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds others are disappointed by the way the Giants have effectively moved the QB out of the picture by dropping him to the third (or fourth) string.

Last year, Boyle ended up going from Zach Wilson‘s replacement to the waiver wire within hours; this came after Robert Saleh had still called Wilson the Jets’ best quarterback. While Boyle has a chance to serve as the other Big Apple team’s emergency QB Sunday, Lock is obviously disappointed by the team’s decision to start Tommy DeVito over him. Lock said (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) both Daboll and GM Joe Schoen met with each QB on Monday to discuss the depth chart shuffle. Lock is tied to a one-year, $5MM deal and has 23 starts to DeVito’s six.

That said, the Giants viewing DeVito as a better runner and recalling the spark he provided last year’s team factored into the decision, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano adds. A 2023 UDFA, DeVito profiles as the best candidate among the current QBs to remain on the Giants’ roster beyond this season. Jones will be cut, likely via a post-June 1 designation, and Lock will presumably move on to another backup gig. Though, Lock’s stock has tumbled since the Broncos’ 2021 Teddy Bridgewater trade.

As for Jones, he remains with the Giants. Russell Wilson being demoted largely for contract reasons did not lead to him leaving the Broncos immediately, though Derek Carr did step away from the Raiders after Stidham replaced him in Week 17 of the 2022 season. Washington had picked up Griffin’s fifth-year option in 2014, but when those were guaranteed for injury only, teams could bail free of charge the following year as long as the player passed a physical. Washington indeed released RG3 after his bubble-wrap season, when Kirk Cousins started throughout.

While this latest contract-related QB move could be interpreted as a tanking decision, that would be quite odd given Daboll and Schoen’s tenuous statuses. John Mara‘s votes of confidence preceded nothing but losses, and some around the league remain skeptical. Both the coach and GM’s jobs are likely on the line, with others around the NFL viewing it as closer to a 50-50 proposition the duo is retained, per Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler.

Both leaders took over a rebuild situation, and Mara has hoped to avoid another quick dismissal. The New York owner fired Ben McAdoo during his second season and then canned Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge following theirs. Daboll has gone 8-19 since his 2022 Coach of the Year season. Schoen admitted (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) the better-than-expected 2022 season prompted him to make moves that did not serve the organization’s long-term interest. Jones’ extension, after the Giants declined his fifth-year option in 2022, would certainly top that list.

Mara gave Dave Gettleman four full seasons as GM; with Schoen delivering a 2022 playoff berth, this would be a quick hook. Still, Schoen’s actions during Hard Knocks‘ first offseason project did not portray him well, as Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney are having All-Pro-caliber seasons. Whether Daboll and Schoen are brought back may now come down to DeVito, representing how far the regime has fallen.

Brian Daboll’s Giants Future Tied To Daniel Jones Benching?

November 18th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have officially benched Daniel Jones in a move which has been anticipated given his struggles and the nature of his contract. With a 2025 injury guarantee looming, the former No. 6 pick is set to finish out the year on the sidelines.

Tommy DeVito is now atop the quarterback depth chart after he found himself in the same position midway through last year. He will aim to lead the Giants to a better showing than the 2-8 record which was posted with Jones at the helm, but in any case the team’s attention will turn to the process of finding a new long-term answer under center. It remains to be seen if New York’s braintrust will be in place to see it through.

Head coach Brian Daboll is believed to be “coaching for his job” over the remainder of the season, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have received public praise from owner John Mara, although many around the league are unsure if that has truly ended the possibility of dismissals coming this offseason. Schoen, for his part, expressed an expectation he will be retained prior to Monday’s news of the quarterback change.

The move from Jones to DeVito has raised eyebrows for some given the fact that Drew Lock has spent the season as New York’s backup. The veteran signed a one-year, $5MM contract in free agency to replace Tyrod Taylor as a high-floor QB2 option in the event Jones were to suffer a repeat of his injury history or get benched in a move to prevent him from failing a physical this offseason. Lock missed time during the summer, though, which leaves him with far fewer reps in Daboll’s offense than DeVito.

Schultz notes the scrutiny Daboll is facing is one of the factors driving the decision to tap DeVito as the team’s signal-caller moving forward. The former UDFA went 3-3 as a starter last year, although he averaged only 6.2 yards per attempt and just over 122 passing yards per contest when on the field. If he replicates those figures, rebounding from the struggles of the early part of the season will be challenging for the Giants. While a poor finish in the win-loss column would be beneficial to New York’s draft slot, it would certainly not help Daboll’s chances of being retained.

The former Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs and Bills offensive coordinator took his first head coaching gig in 2022 with the Giants. Daboll helped guide the team to a surprising 9-7-1 record in his debut campaign, reaching the divisional round of the playoffs. Since the start of last season, however, the Giants sit at 8-19 and it is commonplace in the NFL for the arrival of a new quarterback to be accompanied by changes on the sidelines. With Jones seemingly on the way out and Lock a pending free agent, New York could need two new quarterbacks in 2025 with or without Daboll in the fold.

To little surprise, Schultz adds the relationship between Jones and the organization is viewed as “a bit awkward.” That owes in no small part to the well-documented efforts by the Giants to trade up to the No. 3 slot in April’s draft, a move which would have allowed for Drake Maye to be added as their future franchise passer. Jones made it clear he was not a fan of New York’s efforts to replace him, a process which is set to be repeated in 2025. Before free agency and/or the draft present themselves as avenues for moves to take place, a decision will need to be made on whether or not Daboll will be entrusted to oversee the development of any new passers.

Daniel Jones Fallout: Jones’ Reaction, DeVito, Lock Incentives

November 18th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants ripped off the band-aid today, benching Daniel Jones for Week 12 and likely beyond. The move didn’t come as a complete surprise considering Jones’ subpar play in 2024, especially during the Giants’ active five-game losing streak. While the pivot atop the depth chart seemed inevitable, the team’s trio of quarterbacks only found out this morning.

While speaking to reporters today, coach Brian Daboll revealed that he had a meeting with the Giants’ three QBs to discuss the team’s “direction” (per Connor Hughes SNYtv). Naturally, Jones didn’t take well to his demotion.

“Certainly you’re not going to be happy about that as a competitor, and I respect that,” Daboll said of his former starter (via Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports).

Daboll also admitted he talked with Jones about the player’s future with the organization, but the coach kept those conversations private (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). While the QB is still attached to his four-year, $160MM extension, he doesn’t have any salary locked in beyond the 2024 campaign. Jones’ $23MM injury guarantee for 2025 likely played into the organization’s thinking, especially with the front office having an easy out ($30.5MM in cap savings, $11.11MM in dead cap) this offseason.

So, the team will now pivot to Tommy DeVito. The QB went 3-3 as a starter last season, and Daboll acknowledged that DeVito’s 2023 performance played a role in the team’s 2024 decision (via Hughes). The Giants’ decision to go with DeVito over Drew Lock could have also been financially motivated. Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac notes that Lock could have still achieved a handful of incentives, most notably $250K bonuses based on passer rating, completion rate, and touchdowns/receiving yards. With Daboll coaching for his job over the next month, the coach probably only gave minor consideration to this factor.

Of course, Lock could still see the field if DeVito gets injured or benched. The Giants will roll with Lock as their primary backup, meaning Jones won’t even dress as the team looks to avoid an injury to the highly paid QB.

Brian Daboll: Giants Not Considering Staffing Changes

November 10th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants fell to 2-8 on the year with today’s loss to the Panthers. New York will now prepare for the bye week, a logical point in the schedule for changes on the sidelines to be made.

In spite of that – coupled with the Giants’ increasingly bleak prospects for the 2024 campaign – no such moves should be expected. Head coach Brian Daboll said after the game he remains confident in the team’s incumbent personnel. A turnaround in the win-loss column remains the obvious goal for the remainder of the campaign.

“I believe we’ve got the right people,”Daboll said when asked about the possibility of any changes being under consideration (video link). “Results aren’t there yet.”

The Giants entered Week 10 last in the league with an average of just 15.4 yards per game. The team did not help its average very much in that respect with a 17-point outing against Carolina. Quarterback Daniel Jones threw a pair of interceptions while in scoring range, a key factor in today’s loss. The sixth-year passer has not developed as hoped under Daboll, and it remains to be seen if he will be retained at the end of the campaign. Replacing Jones under center could be coupled with a new approach on the sidelines and/or the front office by way of moving on from general manager Joe Schoen.

Both Daboll and Schoen – in the midst of their third year together at the helm of the Giants – recently received a vote of confidence from owner John Mara. A postseason berth was not deemed mandatory ahead of the 2024 season, but improvement on last year’s 6-11 record was expected. Reaching that goal will be difficult as things stand, and executives around the league are skeptical the Daboll/Schoen pairing is firmly safe at this point.

New York has Mike Kafka (whose tenure has seen him handle and be stripped of play-calling duties) in place as offensive coordinator along with Shane Bowen in charge of the team’s defense. The latter is in his first year on Daboll’s staff, and he has overseen a strong showing in certain categories on that side of the ball. It would come as a surprise if major changes were to be made at the coordinator level based on Daboll’s remarks, although criticism will likely continue if the Giants maintain the status quo in terms of coaches coming out of their bye.

Latest On Job Security For Giants HC Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen

October 30th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Giants owner John Mara recently gave a vote of confidence to his HC/GM tandem. Unsurprisingly, many NFL executives aren’t buying the public support. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes, sources around the league aren’t buying the job security of head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen.

Part of the skepticism is based on precedence. Since Tom Coughlin‘s departure, the Giants have employed four head coaches in eight-plus seasons (not including 2017 fill-in Steve Spagnuolo). While Mara intended to be patient with his Buffalo imports, he clearly isn’t immune from reactionary decisions.

Plus, things could get much, much worse for the Giants between now and the end of the season. Russini points to last year’s saga in Tennessee, where head coach Mike Vrabel was deemed safe as late as Thanksgiving. The organization’s decision makers were adamant that Vrabel was a key member of the Titans…before firing him less than two months later. The Giants have already added another L to the loss column since last week’s report, and a continued lack of progression could change Mara’s mind.

More interestingly, sources are also skeptical about the duo’s long-term job security considering the organization’s alternative options…specifically a future Hall of Fame coach who is currently without a HC job. As Russini writes, it’s a “well-known secret around the league” that Mara is a fan of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, and some NFL sources wonder if the owner could resist if Belichick later shows interest in the New York gig.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com takes it a step further, with the pundit believing Belichick is using his current media gigs to force his way into possible destinations. Florio points to Belichick’s recent remarks that questioned Schoen’s decision to let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency. If Belichick is interested in the Giants job and wants the “power to which he’s accustomed,” he would need Mara to make “a clean sweep” of the team’s leadership.

Daboll and Schoen could end up guiding the Giants to some kind of success in 2024, which would surely cool their hot seat. However, until Belichick lands a gig elsewhere, the duo won’t have 100-percent job security.

Giants Owner Doesn’t Anticipate HC/GM Changes

October 23rd, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Giants sitting at 2-5 and cruising toward another lost season, there’s naturally been speculation surrounding the job status of head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen. The duo got a surprising vote of confidence from owner John Mara this evening. While attending a showing of NFL Network’s “The Duke: Wellington Mara’s Giant Life,” Mara told reporters (including NFL.com’s Judy Battista) that he expects to keep his HC/GM tandem through the 2024 campaign and into the 2025 season.

“Obviously we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,” Mara said (via Pat Leonard of NY Daily News). “But I’m gonna say one thing: we are not making any changes this season. And I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason, either.”

Mara brought Schoen and Daboll over from Buffalo in 2022. They ended up squeezing out one of Daniel Jones‘ most productive seasons, and the duo helped guide the Giants to their first playoff appearance since 2016. Things didn’t go nearly as well in 2023, with the team falling to 6-11. Jones was limited to only six games, although the Giants were 5-6 with Tommy DeVito and Tyrod Taylor at quarterback.

The Giants have continued to stick with Jones in 2024, and the results have generally been underwhelming. The team did win two of three games between Week 3 and Week 5, but they followed that up by getting outscored 10-45 in their last two contests (including Sunday’s loss to the Eagles when former star Saquon Barkley collected more than 180 total yards). Tensions have naturally started to rise in New York, and precedent would usually point to the top decision makers being a bit reactionary.

Since Tom Coughlin‘s departure, the Giants have employed four head coaches in eight-plus seasons (not including 2017 fill-in Steve Spagnuolo). Mara previously stated a desire to be more patient with his current regime, and that appears to be his approach with Daboll and Schoen. Notably, Mara wouldn’t commit to Jones beyond the 2024 season. Assuming the HC/GM hitch their wagon to a rookie QB in 2025, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believes the duo would probably have job security through the 2026 campaign.

On the flip side, it’s only Week 8, so expect plenty of skepticism to surround Mara’s comments. The owner can probably be confident that he won’t make any changes during the 2024 season, but it may be a bit premature to definitively give Daboll and Schoen a full commitment for 2025.

Giants HC Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen Not On Hot Seat?

September 17th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen entered the 2024 campaign with questions about their job security. The Giants have started the year 0-2, though, leading to a new round of speculation regarding changes on the sidelines and in the front office.

Owner John Mara made it clear in advance of the season that a playoff berth was not mandatory for the campaign to be considered a success. He did say, however, that a “big step forward” was expected compared to last year’s 6-11 showing. Things have not gone according to plan so far, with a lopsided loss to the Vikings being followed by a Commanders defeat during which the Giants scored the game’s only three touchdowns.

Despite the winless start to the year, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes a shakeup at this point should not be expected. He predicts the Giants’ situation would need to worsen for consideration to be given by ownership to an in-season firing. A turnaround will still be needed to quell doubts about changes being made during the 2025 offseason, of course.

“I’ve been part of some 0-2 teams that ended up pretty well,” Daboll said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). “I know [the Giants] have here. So again, what really happened 10 years ago or last year, like I’ve always said, really has no bearing on anything this season.”

Much of the 2024 campaign will revolve around the play of quarterback Daniel Jones. The organization remains committed to the former first-rounder, whose contract contains a potential out after the season. Jones’ performance was better in Week 2 than in the season opener, but he will remain under heavy scrutiny if the Giants are unable to meet expectations. The same will be true of Daboll and Schoen, whose first year at the helm resulted in a surprise postseason berth (and wild-card victory) before a major step back in 2023.

Plenty of time remains for New York to rebound from the opening two weeks of the campaign, with offensive efficiency and the play of the team’s recent draft classes in particular being watched closely as it pertains to Daboll and Schoen, respectively. Both could very well find themselves increasingly on the hot seat in the near future, but for the time being their jobs appear to be safe.

Brian Daboll Likely To Serve As Giants’ Play-Caller During Regular Season

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Kafka is still in place as the Giants’ offensive coordinator, but his duties this offseason have not included play-calling responsibilities. That appears set to continue into the regular season.

Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed in the lead-up to New York’s preseason finale against the Jets he will call plays on Saturday. He added (via Dan Salomone of the team’s website) that things are “moving in that direction” with respect to maintaining those duties come Week 1. That update comes as little surprise given the way the spring and summer have trended for the Giants.

Kafka has generally served as play-caller during his two-year New York stint, but signs have been pointing to Daboll taking over in 2024. The latter’s head coaching candidacy was built in large part on his success as a play-calling offensive coordinator with the Bills, so it was a surprise when he deferred to Kafka in 2022. The Giants’ staff is one facing several questions related to job security, however, and Daboll called plays at OTAs and minicamp in addition to his training camp and preseason workload.

The 49-year-old – along with general manager Joe Schoen – has the backing of ownership with respect to relying on quarterback Daniel Jones for at least one more season. Daboll’s position (not to mention that of Schoen and Jones) will become tenuous in the event New York’s offense suffers a repeat of 2023. The Giants looked into trading up for a Day quarterback in this year’s draft, an indication of what is at stake for all parties involved over the coming months.

Kafka drew head coaching interest in the 2023 offseason after his success with Jones and Co. After the past campaign, the 37-year-old was on the radar of the Seahawks and Titans, taking interviews with both teams. The Giants were unable by rule to block him from taking part in that process, but they did prevent him from interviewing for Seattle’s offensive coordinator gig. The former Chiefs staffer enters 2024 with the title of assistant head coach.

In spite of that symbolic promotion, it is all-but assured Daboll will lead the way on offense this season. The Giants’ defense – which will be led by Shane Bowen after Daboll’s well-documented split with Don Martindale – will face high expectations in 2024, but their offensive output will be interesting to watch with the head coach at the helm.

Giants’ Offseason QB Pitch Highlighted Previous Backup Success

July 17th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason continues to deliver nuggets of information and context that otherwise would not have been made available to the public. In the series’ most recent episode, we became privy to some details on the development of the Giants’ backup quarterback situation this offseason.

One area that the series shed light on was the departure of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The show displayed that both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll showed confidence that Taylor would re-sign with the team, while beat reporters like Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Dan Dugger of The Athletic were both under the impression that Taylor had no interest in staying with New York.

The team had turned to Taylor to start for an injured Daniel Jones in Week 6 of the 2023 season but saw Taylor exit with a rib injury three weeks later. Taylor would eventually return around Week 14, but the Giants made the decision to stick with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had gone 3-1 in four starts filling in for Jones and Taylor. Two weeks later, DeVito was benched in a second straight losing effort as Taylor retook the reins for the remainder of the season.

Dunleavy claimed that Taylor was “very disheartened by how last season played out after his injury,” leading to the assumption that the veteran was not interested in returning. Duggan echoed this sentiment, saying that he “got the sense that (Taylor) was ready to move on after how last season unfolded.” Taylor eventually signed with the Jets, opting to serve as the primary backup for another starter who spent most of last season on injured reserve.

Following the loss of Taylor, the team explored a number of options to replace him, clearly seeing a need for quality with Jones’ injury history. The series showed that veteran names like Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco were floated around the building before the team ultimately landed on Drew Lock as their target.

A couple of months ago, we touched on a rumor that Jones’ injury history was part of the pitch that lured Lock to New York, with the team pointing at the success that former backups like Taylor and Mitch Trubisky have had finding contracts following their time with the Giants. That was seemingly confirmed in this week’s episode, showing that, whereas other teams had tried to sell Lock a potentially unrealistic chance to start, New York touted their history of getting backup passers back on their feet.

Regardless of how they got there, both parties appear to be in a good place now. Lock stands a better chance at seeing the field in New York (based on Jones’ injury history), and the Giants now roster one of the league’s most promising young backups as their QB2.

John Mara Voiced Support For Giants Retaining Saquon Barkley, Did Not Force Re-Signing

July 17th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Sam Robinson

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason debut has included John Mara cameos, with the owner staying involved in the team’s effort (or lack thereof) to retain Saquon Barkley. After GM Joe Schoen ran down the team’s priorities, Mara still makes it somewhat clear he wants his staff to keep the door open for a return.

As the legal tampering period began, the Giants‘ front office — after passing on a second franchise tag and informing Barkley no offer will come before he hits the market — braced for a departure. After Schoen informed Mara of a text he received that the Bears were driving up Barkley’s price, the owner voiced his long-held preference for the seventh-year veteran to be re-signed. Though, Mara ultimately did not stand in Schoen’s way.

“I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that,” Mara told Schoen. “As I’ve told you, just being around enough players, he’s the most popular player we have, by far.”

The Bears made D’Andre Swift the first commitment of this year’s tampering period, giving the former Eagles and Lions starter a three-year, $24MM deal. That ended up being second among RBs this offseason, with Barkley’s three-year, $37.75MM Eagles deal ($26MM guaranteed at signing) the runaway winner. Swift’s price tag ultimately led to the Eagles pursuing Barkley.

While Barkley’s agent indeed brought the RB’s Philly offer back to the Giants, Schoen did not receive assurances the two-time Pro Bowler would return if the team matched it.

“I told the agent, I said if we match that deal, he’s going to be a Giant,” Schoen said in a conversation with Mara on March 11. “And he’s like, ‘Well…’ You know, he hemmed and hawed, he’s like, ‘I’m not saying that; we’ve got a lot of work to do if that happens.'”

This led to Schoen confirming to Barkley’s agent that the team would not match, keying a separation after six years. Upon receiving the news of the offer Barkley fetched, Schoen told Barkley’s agent the team was out. Barkley’s agent did not initially tell Schoen who made the offer, but the Giants belatedly learned the Eagles did so. Barkley confirmed months ago the Giants did not submit him a proposal to stay, indicating four teams made formal offers. It is fair to assume the Bears, along with the Texans, joined the Eagles in doing so.

Receiving Brian Daboll‘s recommendation, Schoen pivoted to Devin Singletary on a three-year, $16.5MM deal with $9.5MM guaranteed at signing. After Giants pro scouting director Chris Rossetti read the news of the Eagles’ deal with Barkley, Schoen told Mara, “We’re gonna be fine.” As Mara walked out of the meeting with Schoen and Rossetti upon hearing the news of Barkley’s Philly pledge, it appears he agreed.

Mara not strong-arming Schoen to keep Barkley reflects a belief in the third-year GM, and it was not made clear the Penn State alum would have passed on a Philly deal even if New York matched the terms. The Giants did not reach $26MM fully guaranteed at the July 2023 franchise tag deadline, and Schoen’s comments leading up to free agency prepared Mara for Barkley’s exit. Based on Mara’s comments during the early hours of free agency, is safe to assume the owner will be closely monitoring how Barkley fares with the Eagles. This will obviously be a key determinant in Schoen’s long-term Giants future.

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