Brian Daboll

Growing Tension Between Giants’ Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll?

April 4th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have been working together since 2018, when the latter arrived as Bills OC to start the Josh Allen era. The quarterback’s rise placed both in position to work in leadership roles, and the Giants signed off on bringing the pair in to steer a rebuild. The Giants’ own QB plan has played the lead role in that rebuild not taking off.

Daniel Jones did not play well before a 2023 ACL tear doomed that Giants season, and the since-departed QB did not move back on track in 2024. That called into question the Giants’ decision to pass on three QBs (Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix) at No. 6 overall last year. Now, the team is amid another deep dive into a QB class — this one a lower-regarded contingent compared to 2024. How the Giants come out of this draft may play the biggest role in determining how much longer John Mara sticks with his current regime.

Mara joined Jimmy Haslam in retaining both his team’s power brokers after a 3-14 season, but the Giants have trended downward since their surprising 2022 divisional-round appearance. That run his propping up a regime that has been unable to remotely approach that success level since. Entering Year 4, the Schoen-Daboll partnership may be seeing cracks emerge. Months after the HC and GM conducted separate press conferences — breaking from recent norms — on Black Monday, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard notes the two have veered closer to working as “separate entities.”

HC-GM disputes are commonplace in the NFL, especially among struggling teams, but if the Giants are not currently aligned, fingers could point back at Mara for retaining this partnership when a momentous decision awaits. The Giants mistakenly gave Jones six seasons, despite most of that tenure producing unremarkable returns, and are still attempting to recover from choosing the wrong Eli Manning successor. This offseason represents the Schoen-Daboll pair’s first chance to identify its own QB, but so far, a Russell Wilson–Jameis Winston duo headlines the depth chart. Giants will-they/won’t-they rumors regarding Shedeur Sanders are swirling, but the Colorado passer’s value may not align with the No. 3 overall draft slot.

Both Schoen and Daboll are at Colorado’s pro day today, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. This represents a course change for Daboll, who did not attend Miami’s pro day. Schoen said the fourth-year HC prefers to study QBs at private workouts, but after Leonard noted Daboll was not scheduled to trek to Boulder, his showing up — along with the GM, assistant GM Brandon Brown, OC Mike Kafka, DC Shane Bowen and player personnel director Tim McDonnell — is certainly notable. A seminal Sanders-or-Travis Hunter decision may await Big Blue at No. 3, provided the Browns pick Abdul Carter at 2. The Giants are not working out Sanders in Boulder, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz adds, noting one could be scheduled before the mid-April deadline.

A scenario in which Schoen and Daboll take a best-player-available route, by choosing Hunter or Carter, over Sanders is logical after Mara left two embattled decision-makers in charge. A job-preservation play would stand to be strongly considered, potentially forcing ownership to intervene.

Mara’s decision to retain both, rather than make another quick-trigger firing, did not appear to satisfy all in the team’s building. Some hope existed at the front office and personnel levels, per Leonard, Mara would move on from Daboll after last season. We heard late last season Schoen and Daboll were not a package deal, and the owner has traditionally been more patient with GMs than HCs.

The 2022 Coach of the Year took over play-calling duties last season, despite Kafka serving in that role for most of his first two years on the job, but Mara suggested his HC give the play sheet back to Kafka in January. Some uncertainty about whether Mara or Daboll suggested it emerged, thanks to Daboll’s comments. Schoen has not done well in the draft since taking over, seeing early-round picks Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, Wan’Dale Robinson, Deonte Banks, John Michael Schmitz and Jalin Hyatt have not offered solutions just yet. But ownership, in Leonard’s view, appeared to place more of the blame on the Giants’ coaching.

Daboll and Schoen’s separate pressers in January caught considerable attention from those inside and outside the building, Leonard adds, and this will be a storyline to monitor this offseason. Both decision-makers will be candidates for in-season firings should the Giants not show early-season signs of life.

Giants Notes: Daboll, Schoen, Tisch, Barkley, Banks, Eluemunor, Nunez-Roches

February 5th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

When the Giants decided to retain Brian Daboll after a 3-14 season, multiple players expressed surprise, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes. This was not the only instance of a team retaining a coach after a 3-14 campaign this offseason, as the Browns and Titans joined Big Blue here, but New York’s operation had trended downward from 2022 — even though that initial Daboll-Joe Schoen season came as a surprise.

Schoen’s decision to let Saquon Barkley walk turned out to backfire, and the NFL may have a difficult time presenting a viable HBO offseason project after how much the Giants’ offering made the Schoen regime look. While a disastrous 2024 did not cost Schoen his job, players viewed his decision not to submit Barkley an offer doubled as an underestimation of the running back’s value on the field and in the locker room, per Raanan.

Barkley, who had said numerous times he wanted to finish his career a Giant, rampaged for the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history and would likely have broken Eric Dickerson‘s single-season record had the Eagles allowed him to play in Week 18. Barkley already delivered a strong revenge performance earlier in the season, and he joined fellow Giants defector Xavier McKinney on the All-Pro first team.

John Mara did not ultimately hold Schoen prioritizing Daniel Jones over Barkley as a fireable offense, as the owner played a key role in that 2023 pecking order forming. Still, as a result of the 2024 offseason decisions and the terrible season that followed, Schoen and Daboll will be candidates for in-season firings if the 2025 slate does not start off better. Distrust emerged in Daboll’s program as well, multiple players told Raanan, though it does not sound as though the fourth-year HC lost the team. He will face a difficult task in completing a rebound, as the Giants do not have a starter-level quarterback rostered just yet.

The team did attempt to fix a cornerback issue in 2023, drafting Deonte Banks in Round 1. That has not worked out just yet, with the Maryland product being benched for his effort level during a midseason game. Several players indicated Banks’ benching against the Steelers was “a long time coming,” which points to the former top pick being a lingering issue — at least leading up to that point. Pro Football Focus ranked Banks outside the top 100 among CB regulars this past season, and neither second-round center John Michael Schmitz nor third-rounder Jalin Hyatt has impressed from Schoen’s 2023 class.

Still, Schoen will hold the keys going into a 2025 draft that may well send a first-round quarterback to New York. When Schoen and Daboll met with ownership regarding their futures last month, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the pair only met with Mara, who then spoke with co-owner Steve Tisch separately. Tisch is not in the team’s facility daily, with Duggan classifying the descriptor “silent partner” as applicable for the 20th-year owner, who has outside business interests. Tisch has not spoken in public about the Giants since 2020.

One of the lead drivers for this Giants season unraveling came when Andrew Thomas suffered his latest injury, a Lisfranc issue that required surgery. The Giants went through multiple plans to replace Thomas, ultimately moving right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to the left side and bringing Evan Neal off the bench to reprise his RT role. Eluemunor, who had begun offseason work at guard before sliding to RT during training camp, was not a fan of the LT shift, per Duggan, as he has wanted to showcase himself as a reliable right tackle.

A three-year RT starter in Las Vegas, Eluemunor preferred a two-year deal — as opposed to a three-year pact — in an effort to cash in once again in free agency. The nomadic blocker not becoming a steady starter until 2021 did not produce even a midlevel free agency deal until the Giants offered a two-year, $14MM accord. Eluemunor appears to be aiming at another RT season making him a viable option on the 2026 market.

The Giants have several issues to address during this year’s free agency, and they will likely turn to some in-house players to create cap space. One appears to be Rakeem Nunez-Roches, whom Duggan labels a cap casualty candidate. Nunez-Roches operated as a spot starter in 2023, playing behind since-departed D-linemen Leonard Williams and A’Shawn Robinson. A 10-year veteran, Nunez-Roches started all 15 games he played in 2024. The Giants could save $3.6MM by moving on.

Momentum Building For Mike Kafka To Reclaim Giants’ Play-Calling Duties

January 30th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going 3-14, the Giants are attempting to get by while making only minor staff changes. In addition to retaining their GM and HC, the Giants are keeping OC Mike Kafka and DC Shane Bowen. Only DBs coach Jerome Henderson has become a notable scapegoat thus far.

This is a rather interesting setup, especially as Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen will enter the season on some of the NFL’s hottest seats, but the former may be eyeing a significant change. A year after taking over as the Giants’ primary play-caller, Daboll saw John Mara mention the prospect of him giving up that role again. Weeks later, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes a “strong sentiment” exists in the building for Kafka to retake play-calling duties.

Despite Daboll coming over after being at the helm for Josh Allen‘s superstar ascent, he gave Kafka the play sheet to start his Giants tenure. The ex-Chiefs QBs coach impressed during his first season, which featured a surprisingly efficient Daniel Jones offering and produced a divisional-round appearance. The Giants were unable to sustain that form, as Jones regressed significantly — to the point the team cut bait before season’s end. Nevertheless, Kafka remains in the running for the Saints’ HC job. He has managed this after the Giants have gone 9-25 since their divisional-round game in Philadelphia.

New York ranked 30th in scoring in 2023 and 31st in ’24. The 2023 season featured what appeared to be a good excuse, with Jones missing much of it due to neck and knee injuries, but Daboll was unable to move the struggling QB back on track. Kafka has received at least one HC interview in each of the past three offseasons. He joins Anthony Weaver and rumored frontrunner Kellen Moore as coaches left in the Saints derby — after the exits of Joe Brady, Kliff Kingsbury and Mike McCarthy.

Daboll has far more experience calling plays, having done so at his four previous OC stops; Kafka would stand to benefit if he helps the Giants rebound while calling the shots. Daboll shifting to a CEO sideline role may be helpful, as he attempts to manage a third season. The Giants are also set to have a new starting quarterback — be it one of the top rookies, depending on the Titans and Browns’ decisions at Nos. 1 and 2 — or a veteran stopgap.

The Giants have been linked to having Cam Ward fans in the building, and they were doing plenty of homework on Shedeur Sanders during the 2024 season. At No. 3 overall, New York as a decent chance — as this draft’s top non-QB prospects are viewed as being much better than either of the two premier college arms coming out — of landing one of the two. It will be interesting to see if the Giants landing a rookie or a veteran as their preferred starter affects their play-calling plan. As of now, Kafka said he has not been told — should he not land the Saints’ HC job — who will hold this role in 2025.

Brian Daboll May Step Out Of Play-Calling Role; John Mara Criticizes Giants’ Defense

January 7th, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

After OC Mike Kafka primarily called Giants plays from 2022-23, Brian Daboll took the reins this past season. Despite being at the controls as Josh Allen morphed from raw talent into superstar with the Bills, Daboll could not do much with the 2024 Giants’ offense. As a result, he nearly lost his job.

John Mara, however, retained both Daboll and GM Joe Schoen but issued directives that an improvement must take place immediately. Daboll is now entertaining a step back into a CEO coaching role, though the fourth-year Giants HC did not confirm if the idea of another shift was his or Mara’s.

Mara said Monday he talked to Daboll about moving off play-calling, but Daboll subsequently insisted (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) he broached the subject. When pressed as to who initiated that conversation, Daboll admitted it was perhaps Mara who did. While this seems an important detail, Daboll will be coaching for his job early in the 2025 season — regardless of which party brought this up.

Daboll could not coax quality play from Daniel Jones, despite he and Kafka doing so in 2022. Jones struggled during an injury-plagued 2023 and did not bounce back this season, leading to an in-season cut and a move to the Vikings’ practice squad. The Giants then went around Drew Lock to give Tommy DeVito the first crack at replacing Jones. Lock then took the wheel to close the season, offering inconsistent play down the stretch. The Giants finished 31st in scoring, but in Daboll’s (slight) defense, they were 30th in 2023. This came after a Saquon Barkley-dependent offense placed 15th in 2022, leading to a divisional-round appearance.

Changes on offense may not be all that comes out of a disastrous 3-14 season. Mara criticized Shane Bowen‘s defense when assessing the season, potentially calling the former Titans DC’s job status into question. The Giants did climb from 26th to 21st in total defense, despite not having Dexter Lawrence for a third of the season and missing Kayvon Thibodeaux for a sizable chunk in the middle. New York’s secondary struggled, however.

“Quite frankly, I didn’t think our defense played very well this year at all,” Mara said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “I know that when you have an offense that performs like that, you’re putting more pressure on your defense. But we need to make improvements there. I’m tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us. So, I think that has to be addressed.”

Despite Hard Knocks‘ offseason effort showing Bowen being given a key voice in defensive personnel, Dunleavy reminds he was not the Giants’ first choice for the job. Bobby Babich and Dennard Wilson were the team’s initial preferences, Dunleavy adds.

The Bills promoted Babich — a former Daboll Buffalo coworker — to DC, while Wilson instead took the Titans’ DC gig. The Giants were one of three other teams to request a DC meeting with Babich, while Wilson — a former Eagles DBs coach — was one of three Ravens assistants to become a DC elsewhere in 2024. He met about the Giants’ job in mid-January; Big Blue did not hire Bowen until Feb. 5.

Monitoring Bowen’s status will be important for Giants fans over the next few days, as it would be difficult to expect the team to carry on as is after a 3-14 season. Nevertheless, Daboll will soon be the team’s longest-tenured HC since Tom Coughlin.

Giants To Retain Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen

January 6th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to ‘Black Monday,’ the Colts and Dolphins issued statements confirming they will not make head coaching or general manager changes. The Giants have joined them in that respect.

“Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will continue in their respective roles with the organization,” owner John Mara said in a statement (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “As disappointing as the results of the season have been, [co-owner] [Steve] Tisch and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for our team.”

As a result, Daboll will continue as head coach with Schoen still entrusted to handle general manager duties. Both have been in place since 2022, but the Giants’ rebuild has not gone according to plan. Daboll in particular helped his stock during his debut season in New York by helping lead the team to the divisional round of the playoffs. He earned Coach of the Year honors in light of the Giants’ surprising success, but it was clear transitioning to a new core would remain a multi-year process. The past two seasons have not seen the progress ownership was seeking, however.

A 6-11 run last campaign fell short of expectations, but ahead of the 2024 season Mara said a playoff berth was not required for it to be considered a success. In spite of that, the Giants’ struggles led to speculation at least one of Daboll or Schoen could be let go during the year. Mara offered a vote of confidence in October, although many around the league still figured changes could be coming at least once the season was offer. Mara made it clear the two former Bills staffers would be evaluated separately, and it would have come as no surprise if a few days took place before a decision was made. Instead, the team has quickly endorsed its in-house options.

Daboll, 49, was one of the top candidates in the 2022 hiring cycle based on his work with the Bills as offensive coordinator. He and OC Mike Kafka have both handled play-calling duties over recent years, and the latter’s job status has been a talking point amidst the uncertainty surrounding New York’s staff. Daboll called plays in 2024, and it will be interesting to see if Kafka is retained (and what his role will be if so) for next year.

Schoen’s tenure has been defined in no small part by the four-year, $160MM extension given to quarterback Daniel Jones in 2023. That deal paved the way for Saquon Barkley‘s franchise tag season last year and his eventual departure, something which drew the ire of Mara. That is especially the case since Jones is no longer with the team. Finding a new quarterback will be priority No. 1 this offseason, and Mara cited the play of the 2024 rookie class as a reason to continue relying on Schoen to add to the teams’ nucleus.

Mara did add (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post), to little surprise, that his patience has nearly run out. While the term on Daboll and Schoen’s deals runs past 2025, their futures are certainly not assured over the long term. A major step forward next season will be expected; failing that, changes on the sidelines or in the front office will again be a distinct possibility.

OC Mike Kafka Could Be Fired If Giants Retain HC Brian Daboll?

January 5th, 2025 at 2:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants are among the teams which could soon make moves on the sidelines and/or the front office. Head coach Brian Daboll could be retained for the 2025 campaign, however, something which could lead to a shake-up on the team’s offensive staff.

Provided Daboll does receive another opportunity – something which may well be the case for general manager Joe Schoen as well – offensive coordinator Mike Kafka could become the subject of scrutiny. “Buzz” has emerged pointing to Kafka being dismissed in the event Daboll remains in place, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes. Such a development would likely be centered on Daboll reclaiming full control of the Giants’ offense. Kafka is under contract for 2025, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who adds a mutual desire is believed to exist for he and Daboll to continue working together.

Daboll’s head coaching stock was built in large part on his success working with Josh Allen as the Bills’ offensive coordinator before he was hired by the Giants. It thus came as a surprise when he initially handed play-calling duties over to Kafka in 2022, but those responsibilities have changed hands over time. Daboll turning his attention back to leading the offense would come as little surprise given how much New York has struggled on that side of the ball with and without Daniel Jones at quarterback.

The former No. 6 pick was benched and then waived earlier this season, paving the way for a new passer to be added (likely via the draft, although the Giants may not find themselves in range for top quarterbacks in the class). Starting over at the position is something often accompanied by a head coaching change, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Daboll could indeed be given a fourth season at the helm (video link). The option remains that Daboll will be dismissed with Schoen being retained, although that would come as a surprise to many of PFR’s readers and would also mark a departure from the latest indications on the situation.

Kafka, 37, spent time on the Chiefs’ staff before taking the coordinator gig in New York. His success in that role from the 2022 season led to head coaching interviews, but he was blocked by the Giants when the opportunity to meet with the Seahawks for their OC position emerged. Kafka currently holds the title of assistant head coach under Daboll, though that could change once ownership decides on the organization’s direction.

Giants’ GM Joe Schoen, HC Brian Daboll Not A “Package Deal”; Team Inclined To Retain Both?

January 5th, 2025 at 10:18am CST by Rory Parks

JANUARY 5, 2025: In keeping with the reports that Schoen and Daboll are not a “package deal,” FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz says that the Giants have put out exploratory feelers to see what options might be available to them if they keep one but fire the other. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that both men will be retained, and sources that Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports has spoken to also believe that Schoen will keep his job. Those sources likewise feel it is more likely than not that Daboll is back in 2025, though that is less of a sure thing.

Both Florio and Jones note that Mara is unconvinced he could do better than Daboll if he were to go in a different direction. According to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, some believe that Mara will feel compelled to fire someone in light of how the 2024 season has gone, and Daboll would be the one to get the axe in that scenario (though Vacchiano also thinks Daboll will ultimately stay).

In any event, Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch will speak with Schoen and Daboll before making a decision, and the club may not make the final call on Black Monday. It could take another day or two before the GM and HC know their fates.

DECEMBER 29, 2024: Late last month, a report on the respective futures of Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll indicated that both men were likely to retain their jobs for the 2025 season. However, our Sam Robinson noted at the time that owner John Mara’s history with such matters would suggest Schoen is safer than Daboll, and multiple outlets have confirmed that the GM and HC are not a “package deal.”

In other words, although Schoen and Daboll were both hired in January 2022 following their successful tenures with the Bills, Mara will evaluate them separately at the end of the season and is open to retaining one and firing the other, as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Per Russini, there are increased rumblings around the league that Daboll could receive his walking papers, while Schoen continues to believe his job is secure (just as he has throughout the year).

A source close to Mara did indicate that the owner – who said in October that he planned to give Schoen and Daboll another opportunity in 2025 – intends to stay true to his word. However, the fact that the Giants have not won a game since October 6 could obviously change things, and Russini says Mara will sit down with his top power brokers at season’s end, at which point he will presumably make his final decision.

Interestingly, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com use the same terminology as Russini, noting that Schoen and Daboll are not a package deal and could be facing different fates in several weeks’ time. Like Russini, the NFL.com duo hears that Mara does not want to make a change, and that he believes his 2022 hirees remain highly capable.

While any GM or HC change qualifies as a watershed event in a club’s timeline, the Giants could soon be facing an especially critical moment. As a result of New York’s current 10-game losing streak, it is poised to secure the No. 1 overall selection of the 2025 draft and, by extension, a franchise signal-caller. Mara will have to determine, among other things, whether Schoen is the right person to make the pick and whether Daboll is the right person to develop whichever player is selected. Given how the last two campaigns have unfolded, those will not be easy questions to answer.

Should the Giants lose to the Colts today, they will have gone an entire season without a home victory for the first time since 1974 (h/t Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News). They are also on pace for their worst overall record since 1966, when they finished 1-12-1 (h/t Rapoport and Pelissero).

In a recent poll, the majority of PFR readership expected Mara to ultimately part ways with both Schoen and Daboll, while roughly 22% of voters expected both men to be retained. About 17% predicted Mara will keep Schoen and can Daboll, and a scenario wherein Schoen is fired but Daboll retained was viewed as the least likely.

Poll: How Will Giants Proceed With HC Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen?

December 25th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 100th season in Giants history will not produce a playoff appearance, something which owner John Mara did not require for the 2024 campaign to be considered a success. Still, this year has not gone according to plan on a number of fronts.

New York sits at 2-13 on the year, and losing the final two games of the season would ensure the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. While that would represent a notable consolation for this year’s struggles, major organizational decisions will need to be made before that point. The job security of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will be a talking point once the campaign comes to an end.

Hired together after their shared time with the Bills, the pair has been in place since 2022. That year produced a surprise playoff run, with Daboll earning Coach of the Year honors as a result. Since then, the rebuilding effort Schoen has overseen has not produced the desired results. The Giants have gone 8-25 since the start of last season, including a record of 0-8 at home this year. A loss on Sunday would ensure a winless campaign at MetLife Stadium and add further to the speculation regarding changes taking place on the sidelines and/or in the front office.

The Daboll-Schoen regime inherited quarterback Daniel Jones, but by virtue of committing to a four-year, $160MM extension last offseason the former No. 6 selection was confirmed as having a central role in the team’s short-term future. That decision was matched by using the franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley, who departed this past March and has put himself in contention to break the single-season rushing record during his debut Eagles campaign. Jones and the Giants parted ways earlier this year, although by that point it was clear a reset at the QB spot would be required this spring.

Indications with respect to whether or not Daboll or Schoen would be let go have been tracked throughout the campaign. Mara offered a vote of confidence for both in October, but the Giants have not won since that point. Given the owner’s track record of changing coaches quickly, many have pointed to Daboll being on thin ice. Indeed, a report from last month stated the 49-year-old’s future in New York would be tied to the team’s performance the rest of the way. Amidst a slew of injuries and several underwhelming individual performances, the Giants have not come close to engineering a turnaround in the second half of the season.

While that would suggest Daboll could be among the coaches let go on ‘Black Monday’ following the end of the regular season, that report was quickly followed by one suggesting he could join Schoen in being relatively safe. The latter has seen several players find success upon leaving New York; Barkley has drawn considerable attention for obvious reasons but safety Xavier McKinney is another free agent departure who has delivered a strong showing in 2024. The Packers safety leads the NFL with seven interceptions, more than double the Giants’ collective total in 2024.

Schoen’s draft classes have drawn criticism at times as well, with Evan Neal serving as a key example in that respect. The seventh overall pick in 2022 has fallen well short of expectations during his career, and finding a replacement at right tackle (along with improvements along the interior of the offensive line) will be key objectives moving forward. The secondary is also a sore spot in spite of recent draft investments, and making moves there will be important for improvement to take place.

Presuming the Giants wind up with the top pick in the draft, though, the defining storyline of the coming offseason will be the team’s addition of a new franchise passer. If Daboll and/or Schoen are kept in place, they will be counted on to oversee the quarterback’s development and by doing so move past the Jones era. If Mara prefers to clean house at a critical organizational juncture, though, new faces could be added to take the franchise in a different direction. Of course, the possibility remains that one member of the pair (likely Schoen) receives a longer leash and is kept in the fold for at least one more season.

How do you see things playing out this offseason? Will the Giants elect to keep both Daboll and Schoen around, move on from both or keep only one in place for 2025? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments section.

Giants Expected To Retain GM Joe Schoen; Brian Daboll On Steady Ground?

November 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The past few offseasons have featured momentous swing-and-miss transactions on quarterbacks. The Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson moves proved the most costly, but they did not (as of yet, at least) lead to GM firings. A spotlight on how the Giants’ ill-fated Daniel Jones contract will impact their current regime is shining, but New York is still only expected to feature one GM vacancy this offseason.

With a third of the season to go, the Giants are still looking to stand pat with Joe Schoen. The third-year GM is not on track to follow Joe Douglas to the chopping block, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Although a recent report pegged Brian Daboll as coaching for his job over the homestretch, Schoen may be on steadier ground.

Mara said in October he did not envision Schoen or Daboll being booted before season’s end or in 2025, but the Giants have not won a game since those comments. While momentum for a third Joe Judge year surfaced before his eventual firing, Jones adds Daboll is also still presumed safe due to the owner wanting more stability.

The quick hooks given to Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Judge are benefiting Daboll, who has gone 8-19 since his 2022 Coach of the Year season. That 2022 showing led the Giants to pay Jones (four years, $160MM), and the team is set to eat the remainder of the QB’s guarantees at signing this year and then $22.2MM in prorated bonus money come 2025. Tommy DeVito will have a significant say in whether Daboll is brought back, and Mara’s past at GM would suggest Schoen is safer than Daboll.

Jerry Reese received an extended chance to return the Giants to contender status, as the two-time Super Bowl-winning GM oversaw four seasons without a playoff berth before the 2016 slate — one coming after a free agency splurge for defensive help — led to a return. Mara canned Reese and McAdoo after an Eli Manning benching late in the 2017 season, but Reese’s extended run preceded Dave Gettleman being given four full seasons; none of those brought a postseason berth. Schoen being dropped after three years, the first of which being viewed as a rebuild, would seem hasty by comparison.

Additionally, Jonathan Jones notes Mara’s involvement in Giants day-to-day operations made the owner well aware why the Giants paid Jones in 2023. This well-chronicled sequence eventually led Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia, and while Hard Knocks portrayed Mara as somber once the running back bolted this offseason, the Giants had long held a Jones-over-Barkley stance in 2023. Mara also stumped for Jones in 2022, proclaiming he would remain the starter despite struggles in prior years. The owner cited an inability to build a team around Jones back then, and although Schoen authorized the QB’s second contract, the owner being onboard with that move points to Schoen having a chance to acquire his own quarterback.

Schoen passed on the Michael Penix Jr.–J.J. McCarthy–Bo Nix trio to draft Malik Nabers this year, doing so after the Patriots rebuffed his Drake Maye-centered trade offer for No. 3 overall. This proved risky, as the 2025 QB class is not held in the same regard as this year’s crop. But Schoen was in Miami for the Hurricanes’ Wake Forest matchup, per Jones; Miami, of course, rosters one of next year’s top prospects in QB Cam Ward. The team has already been tied to Shedeur Sanders as well. With Ward and Sanders viewed as next year’s top two QB prospects, connections to the Giants should persist.

The Giants chose their last QB1 in what was viewed as a down draft, having passed on both Sam Darnold and Josh Allen (to take Barkley) in 2018. Unless the team would be OK with a veteran replacing Jones, it appears another dive into a maligned draft pool at the position is on tap. As it stands, it will be Schoen making that call.

Daniel Jones Notes: 2024 Draft, Giants Departure, Potential Landing Spots

November 23rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Daniel Jones and the Giants have mutually parted ways. He is currently on waivers, but the nature of his contract ensures he will go unclaimed and thus have the opportunity to join his next team as a free agent. In the wake of this week’s news, a number of updates have emerged regarding the nature of his situation in New York and his potential market.

As has been well documented (in no small part by the Giants’ status as the subject of this summer’s Hard Knocks series), the team showed considerable interest in a move up the board for a rookie passer. Efforts to acquire the No. 3 pick – and thus the chance to draft Drake Maye – fell short, but Jones made clear his feelings on the subject of nearly being replaced on at least a post-2024 basis. To little surprise, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports the Giants’ desire to draft a successor added extra pressure for Jones ahead of the 2024 campaign.

This season also, of course, represented Jones’ return from the ACL tear which shut him down the year prior. He struggled leading up to his Week 12 benching, throwing nearly as many interceptions (seven) as touchdowns (eight) and taking 29 sacks. The 27-year-old was in position to occupy the fourth spot on New York’s QB depth chart once Tim Boyle was added, insurance against him seeing the field and thus being unable to pass a physical this offseason. Jones spoke with head coach Brian Daboll about his future before taking time to contemplate his next steps.

Part of that brief period included time on the scout team defense (something NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes Jones volunteered for) at practice and what has turned out to be a public goodbye to the franchise. The sixth-year passer faced the issue of needing to initiate an arrangement with the organization regardless of what form it took. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports simply leaving the team while remaining on the books – like Derek Carr did after his 2022 Raiders benching – was not an option in this case without an agreement in place between team and player.

Instead, Jones requested the Giants move on before no doubt doing so this offseason anyway, something Daboll noted was a surprising development in the wake of the decision to bench him (video link). Indeed, Dan Duggan of The Athletic adds New York would have been willing to carry Jones as a fourth-string quarterback for the balance of the season, but the former No. 6 pick’s request to be let go made that a moot point. Jones will begin the process of seeking out a new team shortly as the Giants prepare to start Tommy DeVito for the time being and (in all likelihood) select a new franchise passer in the 2025 draft.

Jones will be on waivers until Monday afternoon, after which point he will be eligible to join an interested suitor. His base salary for the rest of the year is already locked in, so a league minimum pact is expected once his next deal is in place (along the same lines as Russell Wilson‘s Steelers pact checking in at a low cost since the Broncos are still on the hook for most of his 2024 compensation). New York will receive a small degree of cap relief via an offset once Jones has a new deal in place, as noted by CBS Sports’ Joel Corry.

The fact a prorated league minimum investment is all that will likely be required could make Jones an attractive option to teams seeking experienced depth under center down the stretch. A market could be generated quickly, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini writes the Duke product could instead prefer to remain unsigned for a period and take advantage of a starting gig opening up through injury or other circumstances (subscription required). In any case, the opportunity to join an organization interested in exploring a deal for 2025 should present itself.

Any number of teams have been floated as logical suitors for at least a short-term run to close out the year. That includes the Cowboys, but veteran insider Josina Anderson reports they are not currently looking into adding Jones. Cooper Rush is in place atop the depth chart now that Dak Prescott is out for the year, and Trey Lance could see time if Rush were to suffer an injury or be demoted in the coming weeks. Dallas owner Jerry Jones does not (at least publicly) view the end of the 2024 season as a lost cause best spent as an evaluation period, making it likely the team’s incumbent passers will continue to be leaned on in Prescott’s absence.

Even without the Cowboys in the running, executives around the league informed both ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jori Epstein of Yahoo! Sports that multiple teams will likely pursue Jones as a high floor backup and/or a potential bridge quarterback for next year. Teams with young passers in need of development now – or those which will add one this spring – could stand to let Jones at least compete for a short-term gig atop the depth chart. As a result, Fowler names the Raiders (whose staff includes Fred Walker, Jones’ former college offensive coordinator) as a “sensible option.” Vegas could look to move on from one or both of Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell in the offseason, given their respective 2024 struggles.

Epstein, meanwhile, notes that multiple league personnel pointed to the Vikings as a logical landing spot. Provided Sam Darnold were to depart in free agency, Minnesota could look to insulate first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (whose meniscus tear has left him sidelined for his entire rookie campaign) for 2025. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has drawn praise for his work with Darnold, who could be the top veteran passer on the market this offseason. Duplicating that success with Jones could help put him on a similar path while giving McCarthy more time to develop.

Regardless of how things play out on the Jones front, his situation will be interesting to monitor over the coming days. The Giants’ next steps at the QB spot will dominate their offseason plans, while it remains to be seen how the end of the current season and the setup of the next one will fit into Jones’ NFL future.

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