Sportsnaut
With training camp two months away, the New York Giants roster is significantly better than it was at the end of last season.
General manager Joe Schoen made massive upgrades at key positions via free agency and the draft, which has people inside the Giants organization excited.
However, despite the improved roster, most are predicting the team will finish third or last in the division and have another losing campaign. If that happens, it would be the third time in four years under Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll that the franchise finished below .500. Based on what happened last season, most would think that spells the end for the duo.
But that’s not necessarily the case. Here’s how Schoen and Daboll can keep their jobs, even with another losing season.
The Giants schedule is brutal, especially with six of their first eight games against playoff teams from last season. That includes two games against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the team they defeated in the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs.
The schedule eases up in the second half as they face only four playoff teams from last season over their final nine games. If the team has a strong finish, ownership may retain their general manager and head coach despite a losing record.
One reason the Giants have struggled over recent years is their inability to defeat their fiercest rivals in Dallas and Philadelphia. The Giants haven’t defeated a Dak Prescott-led Cowboys team since 2016, and they haven’t won in Philadelphia since 2013.
Including the Eagles’ 38-7 thrashing of the Giants in the 2022 Divisional Round, the team is 1-12 against Philadelphia and Dallas in the Schoen/Daboll era. Last season, they were even swept by the Washington Commanders.
If the team can win a couple of divisional games this season and go at least 3-3 in the NFC East, it will signal that things are moving in the right direction.
Aside from winning games, the most important task for the Giants in 2025 is developing Jaxson Dart. The team traded back in the first round to take him with the 25th overall pick because they believe he’s the right quarterback to bring the franchise back to prominence.
Learning from Russell Wilson will help his progression, but if the team falls out of playoff contention, it’s not a matter of if Dart sees the field this season — it’s when. Ideally, the team would want him to make his first start at home with crowd support, then make steady progress in each start.
The goal by season’s end is for the franchise to be confident that Dart is ready to be the starter for 2026.
At times last season, it seemed Daboll may have lost the locker room as players voiced frustration with the...
