Big Blue View
When New York Giants co-owner John Mara announced in January that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll would stay on for a fourth season, he was asked if the roster Schoen had built was better than the one he inherited in January of 2022.
“I’m not sure I am all that confident that it’s that much better,” was Mara’s candid, if somewhat befuddling, answer.
If things weren’t better, why was he maintaining the status quo?
“I certainly can’t justify it based on the records, but, again, based on my observation of how they work together, of how the players respond to them and how Joe (Schoen) is going about building the roster going forward, it’s my instinct and my strong belief that we are going to go in the right direction,” Mara said. “It’s hard for me to say we’re going in the right direction right now because we’ve been going backwards.”
Again, befuddling.
Fast forward to the present. The 2025 NFL Draft netted the Giants a player expected to be a dominant pass rusher in Abdul Carter and an exciting potential quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart. Free agency brought players expected to help a defense that wasn’t good enough in 2024. Andrew Thomas returned from injury and is playing like an All-Pro, fortifying the offensive line.
Yet, the Giants are 2-11 after 13 games for the second straight season. Daboll is smoking cigars on his front porch and looking for a new job after having been fired. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was also fired.
Schoen still has a job. He also still has confidence that despite the product seeming to have gotten worse year over year after the surprising 2022 playoff season he can get the franchise turned around.
“I’m very confident in my staff, myself, and our ability to get this franchise back where it needs to go,” Schoen said. “There’s pieces in place. And I do have confidence in our ability and our process to find the next coach to lead the organization. And again, I truly believe in that process, and I know we’re going to get it right.”
Schoen should have confidence in himself. If he didn’t, why take the job in the first place? The question is, should ownership continue to have confidence in Schoen after three straight seasons where the product has been unsatisfactory?
The Giants are 20-43-1 during Schoen’s tenure. Their winning percentage has decreased each year (.559 in 2022; .353 in 2023; .176 in 2024; .154 so far this season).
Schoen knows that being the Giants’ GM today does not mean he is not guaranteed to remain in that role beyond the end of this season.
“Ownership will evaluate the entire football operation at the end of the season as they should, as they should, and then we’ll go from there,” Schoen said this week.
The stay or go decision comes back to what ownership thinks about the personnel Schoen has put in place, whether they...
