The New York Giants went 3-14 this season, and many people were surprised by owner John Mara’s decision to retain general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll for a fourth season.
Apparently, several Giants players were also “surprised” that the team retained Daboll, according to an ESPN report.
While several players were “surprised” by Daboll’s exit, some said they were fine with it because Daboll is a friendly coach.
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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, left, leaves the field after their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 5, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Players said the Giants head coach was open to feedback and built into a schedule that “barely wears them out,” according to the report.
The report also said players like Daboll as a person but see signs that his program is not “destined for success.”
Daboll’s tenure couldn’t have gotten off to a better start, going 9-7-1 in his first season, winning a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings and being named coach of the year.
Since then, everything has continued to deteriorate.
The Giants regressed in 2023, going 6-11, making what people thought was the 2024 season a make-or-break season for the coach and general manager.
GIANTS LEGEND ELI MANNING SUPPORTS TEAM’S DECISION TO STAY WITH BRIAN DABOLL AND JOE SCHOEN DESPITE A VERY UNAD SEASON
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts to a call during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, Sunday, September 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Instead of improving, they went further in the other direction, going 3-14 in what was supposed to be a celebratory 100th season for the franchise.
It was a season in which fans held up banners with messages aimed at ownership, benching starting quarterback Daniel Jones and cutting him days later.
Despite all this, Schoen and Daboll will get another chance to right the ship.
One of the big problems this season was the lack of communication between coaches and players, according to the report.
Some players said they were “misled and left hanging on issues such as changing roles or reducing snaps, without sufficient explanation.”
New York Giants co-owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen talk with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, right, at the stadium MetLife before their team hosts the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 26, 2023. (Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The biggest question Schoen and Daboll will face going into next season is solving the quarterback position.
The team has the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, behind the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, and may not be lucky enough to select this year’s top two quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
No matter who plays quarterback for the Giants next season, Daboll and Schoen enter next season in the hot seat with plenty of pressure to win from a hungry fan base and restless ownership.
