Joe Schoen

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.

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’ 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.

Giants GM Joe Schoen Expects To Be Back In 2025

November 12th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.”

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.

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.

Giants’ Selling Point On Daniel Jones’ 2023 Extension

August 25th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Ely Allen

About a year and a half ago, the Giants gave quarterback Daniel Jones a four-year, $160MM extension. While $40MM per year doesn’t sound like top-end NFL passer money right now, at the time, Jones’ new deal tied him for the honor of sixth-highest paid quarterback in the league at that time, per annual average. A recent report from Ryan Dunleavy of the NY Post provided an explanation for why New York was so willing to give Jones his bag.

Per Jones, Giants general manager Joe Schoen claimed this week that part of Jones’ agent’s sales pitch on the contract extension was that, with all the soon-to-come quarterback extensions and free agent deals around the league, Jones’ $40MM per year wouldn’t seem nearly as top dollar as it did at the time. See, when Jones signed his extension, it paired him with playoff contending quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford in contract length and overall value. The contract also came on the heels of a Derek Carr-signing for four years and $150MM.

At that point in time, Prescott was a Pro Bowler who had shown he was a threat to pass for 4,500 yards in a healthy season and nearly reached 5,000 in 2019. Stafford was pushing into his 15th season and, though he was aging, had just matched a career high with 41 touchdown passes in 2021. Carr didn’t quite have the winning pedigree or statistical production of Prescott or Stafford, but he still threatened for 4,000 passing yards every season, topping out at 4,804 in 2021, and was a three-time Pro Bowler.

Daniel Jones had accomplished none of the above feats. He hadn’t made a Pro Bowl or sniffed a 4,000-yard or 30-touchdown season. He held career highs of 3,205 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Since his rookie season, he had failed to surpass 15 touchdowns. But timing is everything, and at the time of his contract negotiations, Jones had just led the Giants to their first winning season and playoff appearance with him under center. He had just thrown for his career high in passing yards and led the NFL in interceptions per pass attempt, throwing only five.

These accomplishments hardly seem worth signing Jones to a deal resembling the likes of Prescott and Stafford and surpassing that of Carr, put Jones’ agent pulled out the pitch mentioned above. He convinced Schoen that with the inevitable new contracts for players like Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and others, paying Jones $40MM per year would be a bargain, especially if he could maintain the level of play from his 2022 season.

Unfortunately, the Giants saw Jones only start six games under his new contract before succumbing to a season-ending injury, and those six games did nothing to instill much confidence in Jones making the contract seem like a bargain deal. In six contests, Jones averaged a career-low 152 passing yards per game, only throwing two touchdowns to six interceptions while going 1-5 as a starter. There’s still time for Jones to make a strong comeback from injury and prove he’s at least worth the bargain deal he signed. For now, though, Giants fans find themselves easily getting excited over underdog successes like Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito.

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